Superboy Refined
by RogericZ23
Summary: What if Cadmus gave Superboy a body no-one could resist? What if they bypassed the restrictions of his DNA and advanced him in ways no one thought possible? See how this affects his love life and how it changes his journey to become a hero. Warning: slash and adult themes.
1. Introduction

**Note:** **This first chapter is simply scene setting, first-person perspectives will begin in the following chapter. Please keep reading!**

 _The scene begins in the midst of a Cadmus lockdown. Three figures stand in a descending lift. One dark-skinned teen, taller than the other two presses his hand against the doors, muttering to himself while the shortest one, a lithe restless teen taps away frantically at a wrist-mounted computer. His scarlet headed friend argues with him as alarms blare around them, gloved hands reaching to interfere with the hacking as the elevator counts down. "42, 43, 44…"_

"What are you doing!" exclaimed Kid Flash frantically. "Dude, out is UP!" gesturing with his hands as if it wasn't clear enough.

"Excuse me? Project Kr is down on sub-level 52" retorted Robin, making a final few adjustments before stowing away the holographic computer.

Aqualad stepped past his squabbling friends, hand rubbing the back of his neck restlessly, brow furrowed with concern.

"This is out of control," he muttered, inhaling deeply before composing himself.

"Perhaps-perhaps it is time to contact the league."

The countdown continues ticking and the sidekicks watch as the number reaches 52. Doors open with a "ding." Red, damp tunnels stretch out before the weary trio as they poise with hands on weapons. Robin darts out as soon as he sees no immediate threat and begins surveying their surroundings.

"We _are_ already here," Kid Flash remarks to Aqualad, flitting out quickly, leaving the Atlantean alone in the lift. The taller boy merely sighs resignedly before following the others into the tunnel as the doors close behind them.

"Which way now?" enquires Aqualad to no one in particular. He crouches beside Robin as they observe the vines and iron balls which decorate the almost flesh-like tunnels.

"Yeah. Bizarre hallway looking hallway number one or bizarre looking hallway number 2?"

A voice resounds in the cavern. "Halt!" The trio turn to see a thin horned figure raise his hand as its eyes begin to gleam an ominous red.

The three sidekicks bolt as the creature's horns illuminate and huge cans of waste begin to fly at them. Dodging nimbly, Robin flings a birdarang at the hostile figure, distracting it long enough to aim an explosive birdarang at the flying projectiles. The resulting blast knocks aside the objects, giving them a chance to dart around the corner of the tunnel, masking their escape just as the lift reopens with Guardian and half a dozen other creatures.

Without being questioned, the thin creature points down towards the tunnel which the trio escaped to, with Guardian immediately following the gesture.

"They are headed for project Kr!"

Further down the tunnel, Kid Flash streaks into a petite dark-skinned woman with a clipboard, knocking her off her feet. Noticing the massive doors which begin to close behind her, he screams out to his following team-mates.

"Hurry!" Kid Flash blocks the rapidly closing doors with a nearby barrel that begins to bend and creak under the pressure. Robin and Aqualad dive through, with Kid Flash following in their wake. Just as the yellow garbed hero steps through, the doors slam together, barrel crushed beyond recognition as it smashes on the floor.

Guardian and the thinner creature arrive just to see the lock engage, as the woman clambers to her feet and begins fiddling with the door. There is a shadow coming around the corner even as the telekinetic figure's horns glow. The doors shudder but don't give as Guardian turns to meet a long-haired scientist who comes dashing down, panting with exertion.

"Doctor Desmond."

The scientist ignores the hero's greeting and begins barking questions.

"They're still in there? With the weapon?" he shrieks. Guardian shifts, but gestures to the woman struggling with the lock.

"We can't get the door open."

Desmond ignores his explanation and turns to the horned creature.

"Use your telekinesis!"

"I have tried," it responds stoically. "To no avail."

"Useless!" the doctor exclaims, throwing his hands up exasperatedly.

"This is a debacle! Get some G-trolls down here to muscle the door open" Desmond spits at Guardian, striding towards the doors.

"Already on their way," replies the hero, hands on waist as his golden mask catches the meagre light, shining in the scientist's eyes.

"You know that one they see what's in there, we can't ever let them leave?" The scientist pointedly ignores the light shining in his face, addressing Guardian icily who shrugs uncomfortably.

"Doc, you've got to think about this. Those aren't your average meddling kids. We don't want to get on the wrong side of the Justice League."

Desmond considers this, but shakes his head slightly, the fear obvious in his face.

"No, but believe me it's better than getting on the wrong side of the Cadmus board of directors. Especially given what we've done to this particular…specimen." Voice catching on the last word, the chief scientist turns away, mopping at his sweaty forehead with a coat sleeve."

Guardian's eyes narrow, suspicion written on every visible feature. "What do you mean? I thought this was just another run-of-the-mill experiment. It can't be much worse than anything they've concocted so far."

"Oh, there is more than just an average project in there, and if we're not careful-"

Desmond seems to remember who he's talking to, and stops abruptly. "Never you mind though, we HAVE to get that door open."

The gold clad hero opens his mouth to ask another question, but Desmond nods to the creature on his shoulder and Guardian subsides, a glassy look entering his eyes.

"Contact the G-gnomes inside Kr," he orders curtly. "Capture and detain, but restrict its power. We need the sidekicks intact"

The G-gnome perched on Guardian's shoulder closes its eyes and its horns glow brightly. Suddenly, there is an enormous crash, muffled yells discernible through the enormous doors. A few more impacts can be heard within the room before another crash sends tremors shuddering through the floor. An electrical current surges across the surface of the doors and the woman handling them steps back hurriedly. Another strangled yell pierces the silence and finally there is silence.

The doors crumple at the edges and slide open with a crash, before every human at the scene gasp in unison. Guardian is shaken out of his reverie, mouth hanging open at the sight before them. Desmond manages a slight smirk, having a wealth of experience dealing with what his colleagues were struggling with. This was no ordinary experiment.


	2. Chapter 1-The Super Clone

**Chapter 1 - The Super Clone**

 _Robin_

After everything that had happened, Dick still couldn't believe that a simple reconnaissance mission had gone so wrong. Setting off to investigate with Wally and Kaldur had seemed like such an innocuous outing, but then again, even with all that had happened he didn't really feel all that scared. By this point a patrol in Gotham with Batman would have lead to much more running screaming and bleeding.

 _Batman._ The sidekick's mouth dried up immediately. Once his mentor found out what they'd done here, there would be a lot more on the line than just their lives.

Aqualad gazed at the doors with something approaching despair, but calmly set his mouth into a resolute line before turning to Robin.

Nodding, he brought up his holographic computer and wired it into a nearby port and set to locking the doors. There was a loud click and the lock turned red.

"We're safe," he confirmed.

"We're trapped" corrected the older boy tensely.

Glancing over, he noticed Kid Flash was standing at the control panel in the centre of the room facing a darkened pod.

He beckoned for them to come closer "Uh guys, you'll really want to see this."

Robin stepped up curiously, noticing that Aqualad followed suit as Wally fiddled with the controls and made the lights flicker on. None of them was prepared for what happened next.

In the back of his mind, Robin vaguely registered that Wally had lurched forward onto the panel for support, whereas Kaldur had broken his stoic manner for a second as his mouth hung open. Honestly, he had been more focussed on his own reaction at the time. Even with all the mental training Batman had given Robin, he still couldn't control the giddy smile which crossed his face or the whimper which escaped unbidden from his lips once setting eyes on the person before them.

The boy in the pod was the most breathtaking thing he'd ever seen.

His face was absolutely flawless, every feature perfectly aligned, cheeks and jawline impeccably formed and skin so smooth and unblemished that it reminded Dick of the marble from which Greek statues were carved. Soft lashes framed his impossibly stunning features along with short yet almost fluffy hair as black as the night sky. The body beneath this gorgeous face didn't help things at all. A broad, muscular chest and abs were clearly defined beneath the body suit he wore, which clung to him like a second skin, legs perfectly proportioned in a way which balanced out his tremendous height which Dick judged with an expert eye to be six foot three.

It wasn't simply that the guy was handsome though, he was inhumanly captivating. Dick had never felt even the slightest attraction to a male in his life. For that matter, to his knowledge, neither did Wally or Kaldur. Muscles were something he would train for hours to achieve (and never succeed) but never something he would consider gawking at. And yet, trying to look away from this creature's chiselled body was like trying to tear wax off his own face. It was confusing to say the least.

They stood there frozen for at least a few minutes. Naturally, Aqualad regained use of his voice first and managed, to Robin's envy, a perfectly calm and steady voice. "Who is he? Can you find out what is going on?"

Realising who Kaldur was addressing, he fumbled for his computer for the first time since he was nine and managed to croak out affirmation in a voice which would NOT have worked with his usual playful cackle.

"Uh y-yeah jus gimme a sec," fingers flying across the keys. "But just looking at him we should already be able to guess huh?"

All of them avoided looking at the boy in the pod, but he knew they understood. The bright red "S" emblazoned on the front of the suit could hardly indicate anything else.

Kid looked doubtful. "Ok, so Kr is the atomic symbol for Krypton so we've covered that. Is he a clone though? He doesn't even look like Big Blue."

Feigning disinterest to mask the blush which pretty much covered his face now, the Boy Wonder preoccupied himself by re-reading the files he had finished downloading seconds ago.

"Uh-huh? Sure about that KF?" He made sure the scepticism was dripping from every word.

"C'mon Rob, fine there's a passing resemblance but there's no way the big guy looked like THAT," gesturing vaguely in the direction of the pod, a red tinge touching his face.

"He's right" Kaldur interjected. "There must be something we do not yet understand Robin."

Robin stopped pretending to read the files and faced his teammates. "Weapon designation-Superboy. Created with DNA acquired from Superman-"

"Stolen from Superman" Kaldur interjected. Robin nodded, acknowledging the correction.

"He's force grown for a period of… 16 weeks! So if each year adds up to a year-"

"He's only 16" Wally finished. The envy on Wally's face was somewhat comical and were it not for the peril of their situation, he would have mocked him relentlessly for it. As it was, he filed it away in a special part of his memory to bring up if they ever made it out of there.

"They've genetically modified him. Tweaked the genes, worked with the DNA and well…it doesn't explain why." Scouring the database brought up little more than a single line of text.

His teammates looked frustrated, but Aqualad gestured for him to continue. "They're aiming for the ideal human body, but their motives are classified. Known only to the Cadmus board of directors apparently."

Kid Flash scratched his head thoughtfully. "So there's some hidden sect somewhere that wants a physically perfect kryptonian for their own purposes. What else does it say?"

"Nothing much. Just basic information about his conditions. The solar suit he's wearing stores solar energy 24/7, it helps gives him kryptonian powers underground."

Aqualad stood, face grim. "This has gone far enough, we must alert the League."

Kaldur pressed his belt buckle radio a few times which lit up, but only static came through.

Bringing up some more information, Robin clarified. "Radio signals are jammed Aqualad, we can't contact the League until we exit Cadmus."

"We're in too deep" Wally remarked wryly. "Literally."

Aqualad had already given up trying and looked more closely at the screen which showed three gnome like creatures lined up in capsules above the clone. "And these? What are they?"

Robin examined the screen again. "Genomorph gnomes: telepathic. They're force-feeding him an education."

"And we can guess what else," Kid muttered. "They're making a slave out of, well, Superman's son."

Robin looked at the pod again, forcing himself to remain calm, even as his heart did a tap-dance. The clone was sleeping, looking almost peaceful. However, the view, as incredible as it was only made him feel more uneasy. Superboy was being created as a weapon and its targets were clear. If they left him here, the clone would not thank them for it.

Kid Flash was evidently engaged in similar thoughts, but avoided glancing at the clone. "This is wrong. They're sculpting a replacement for Superman."

"We can't just leave him here Aqualad" he heard himself say. "It's sick."

Their de-facto leader rubbed his chin, contemplating their next course of action. Looking up, his voice shook ever so slightly when catching sight of the clone. "Set him free. But be careful not to alert those outside."

Robin found there was a smug sense of satisfaction in hacking the security of an evil organisation and something deeply enjoyable about duping them a step further. "I've set off an alarm on floor 45, they'll be wondering who broke into their biochemical labs and blew their sprinklers."

Aqualad nodded. "Good, then once he regains consciousness we can use that as an opportunity to break through their defences."

He noticed that Wally and Kaldur smiled, but turned enraptured as the pod disengaged and the clone was released in a plume of frosty air.

The breath caught in Robin's throat as he looked at the magnificent figure. Superboy straightened, muscles rippling as he shifted and lids rising to reveal startlingly blue eyes that drew a slight sigh from all of them (yes, even Aqualad). For a fraction of a second Robin relaxed, content to stare at him. That was a mistake.

As Batman had always preached, constant vigilance was paramount, and Robin had just breached that all-important rule. Perhaps if they had been able to ignore the temptation of his body, they would have noticed the way those long fingers curled into a fist, or the fact that after being released, the genomorphs began to pulse with red energy.

Then again, he doubted any of them could have actually dodged in time when the kryptonian lunged at Kaldur. In a blur of motion, he knocked their teammate into the ceiling with a single punch, creating a sizeable crater, making the cave quake unsteadily. Aqualad had fallen to the ground unconscious before any of them had moved, and Superboy had already stretched out to backhand Robin. At that distance, Robin could see every contour of the gorgeous deadpan face, and stood there transfixed like a bird trapped by the gaze of a snake (no, that was NOT a pun!).

Kid Flash scooped him out of the way of the super clone in the nick of time just as the hand whistled past where his face had been. Executing a perfect somersault out of Kid Flash's arms, he flew over Superboy's head as he leapt for them again. Super powered fingers passed less than an inch before his face, so using the clone's back as a springboard, Robin catapulted away in one smooth motion, distancing himself from the aggressive clone.

Deciding it had to be vertigo or disorientation, Robin signalled for Kid to stand on opposite sides of the impassive figure who looked at them with cold disinterest. The duo began to yell, arms held up in a sign of surrender. "We're trying to help you; you don't need to fight us!"

"Yeah, Supey, we're on your si-ahh!" The last part came from Kid swerving to avoid the lightning fast punch the clone threw at him, right before speeding around him in a whirlwind and pummelling him with punches.

Of course, the clone didn't feel a thing and simply stared as the speedster slowed down to stand beside Robin. The way that his best friend was panting did not reassure him. It didn't help that Aqualad was passed out and that he could barely think in front of the ridiculously alluring clone who was now surveying them with an eerily focussed expression.

Cradling his fists, the red headed hero kept his eyes on the clone. "You got a plan?"

"Your hands broken?"

"Not yet."

"Sweet."

He slipped a gas bomb into the speedster's hand wordlessly and they sprang into action as they had done so often before. Robin extracted smelling salts from the medical kit in his utility belt and when the clone shot after him yet again, Kid detonated the bomb and kept the gas swirling around the clone who began to cough and gasp in the funnel.

Aqualad began to stir, inhaling hugely, grasping his ribs uncertainly, but regaining his composure as he brought out the water bearers. Robin grinned, bringing out a taser, hopes rising somewhat. Unfortunately, that's where their luck ended. Superboy swiped at Wally as the gas dissipated and caught him with a blow on the arm that sent him smashing into the nearest wall.

His mouth went dry again as his friend slumped to the floor. "KF!" The cry was torn from his throat.

To his relief, he saw the speedster's chest steadily rise and ebb just as Superboy turned to face them. There was a growl beside him as Aqualad's water bearers hardened into two enormous hammers. Lunging forward, Kaldur brought the hammers over his head.

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed, slamming them into the clone who buckled at the impact, keeping his arms up as Aqualad continued battering away. Robin sent two birdarangs at the clone's face, which distracted him long enough for a huge swipe of both hammers to send him flying into the doors of the vault, body leaving a clear indentation in the metal.

The order he issued was curt and no nonsense. There was no time for them to mince words. "Double electrical impulse Robin. We need to disable him before we can help Kid."

The two heroes moved in perfect simpatico, Aqualad wrapping the super clone in water tendrils just as he ploughed the hooks of the taser into Superboy's chest. Electricity both magical and technological arced over the clone, extracting angered screams as they sent the powerful body into spasms. It was only when his hands moved to grasp the weapons that Robin realised what was going on.

The clone stopped feinting and without warning, pulled on both their weapons, sending the two flying into him. Within seconds, his hands were wrapped around their throats and both electrical currents surged over them in an instant.

The pain was agonising, and had a majority of the charge not been absorbed by Aqualad's water bearers, he probably would have passed out on the spot. As it was, spots danced before his eyes and his body went limp, completely drained of energy. Dangling in the air with Aqualad who was trying to prise one finger off his neck at a time, Robin glared at the clone with narrowed eyes.

Superboy paid him no heed, focussing on Aqualad's impotent flailing, fingers whitening against the Atlantean's frenzied efforts. Lifting him slightly higher, Robin's eyes widened as he realised what the clone was planning to do. In one swift thrust, Superboy slammed Aqualad brutally into the floor, drawing a strangled gasp. He tried to reach out to his now unconscious friend, but the hand which held him tightened, blocking off the last of the oxygen. Superboy leaned back now and with casual ease, ripped open the enormous door, revealing a group of people who gasped at the sudden appearance of this ebony haired god.

Staring into those luminous eyes as he lapsed in and out of consciousness, Robin lost any semblance of coherent thought and felt himself fly into the depths of a clear blue sky. One approving voice pierced the stupor.

"Atta boy."


	3. Chapter 2-The Cadmus Escape Pt1

**Chapter 2 - The Cadmus Escape Pt.1**

Desmond

Pacing back and forth in his vast office, Cadmus' head scientist Dr Mark Desmond paced up and down, heart beating painfully inside his chest. Wiping away the sheen of sweat which began to show on his forehead, Desmond scowled at the G-gnome which sat perched on the corner of a nearby desk. Its eyes followed him as he walked; stirring unease within the scientist, almost as if the thing was beginning to telepathically probe him.

"Don't be ridiculous" he thought. "It's nothing more than a telepathic sock puppet, it can't do anything unless it receives orders."

Then again, he mused. The board of directors wasn't beyond planting a sleeper agent even among its own ranks to monitor and on occasion terminate its agents. Shuddering, Desmond shook his head just as the screens began to descend from the ceiling.

Hazy, luminescent silhouettes flickered on the monitors and he stood to attention as the centre figure began to speak. The gravelly voice emanating from the speakers was commanding and authoritative. Desmond straightened immediately as L1 spoke.

"Dr Desmond. You require and audience with the Light." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, very sorry to disturb you at this late hour," he stammered. "Bu-"

"Just get to the point." L3 had interjected, a smooth well-modulated voice cutting across his anxious rambling.

"Of course!" Gathering what little dignity he had left, the head scientist cleared his throat before continuing.

"Well, we had a small fire here at project Cadmus. The origin of the incident is still unclear, but it seems to have attracted some… unwanted attention."

None of the Light deigned to speak so the explanation continued.

"Three _sidekicks_ ," he described, emphasising the second word to make clear the triviality of the intrusion, "Aqualad, and Kid Flash-breached security. They found their way into the depths of Cadmus and managed to infiltrate one of our more secure facilities"

L3 stirred, perhaps realising what was about to come next.

"And?" The voice was expectant, tinged with professional irritation.

Desmond's heart rate began to pick up, the g-gnome staring at him from the desk seeming more ominous than ever. "They found and released the weapon." There would be consequences for this he knew, but ploughed on.

"The Superboy."

Almost every figure on the monitors stirred in unison, L1 and L3 in particular seemed to distort visibly, which he knew probably meant they had leaned forward to scrutinise him more closely. The scientist was now under the microscope.

L3's voice was soft and deadly even with the echo. "And how much did they find out? I presume they were dispatched immediately?"

Desmond knew the next words he spoke would be crucial to keeping himself alive, so he played the card carefully. "Of course. They provided no obstacle whatsoever. The clone is under our telepathic control and, as ordered, turned against his would-be liberators."

Now _that_ got a reaction he thought, with two more of the Light drawing closer to their monitors and L3's voice losing a touch of its irritation.

"And what were the results of this… field experiment?"

"It was difficult to gauge, but the clone didn't seem to encounter any problems in dealing with the trio. This body seems suitable for combat from what footage we could obtain and from pre-emptive examination seems completely unaffected by the battle."

"How long did it take?"

Thankfully he had already ensured he knew this fact before calling the conference.

"45.5 seconds exactly."

They seemed to contemplate this momentarily as L1 turned to L3, ignoring the Cadmus scientist.

"Naturally, this was an expected result. Given the special care we have taken, it's hardly of great significance that the Weapon could deal with these particular children."

"That being said, there is some reassurance in the fact that even in this incomplete form that the victory was so clean." L3 seemed rather pleased much to Desmond's relief.

"Perhaps. What matters now is how much they have gleaned."

Desmond took this as his cue to respond. "The 3 are contained, and we don't believe the League knows they're here." The question lingering on his lips now sprung to the surface.

"Uh, what should I do with them?" he enquired.

No discussion was required this time.

"Clone them" L3 replied.

L1 shimmered with what might have been a nod.

"The substitutes will serve the Light, and only the Light."

Satisfaction mingled with a meagre sense of solace as the solution became obvious.

"And the _originals_?" The question hardly needed to be asked.

"Dispose of them. Leave no trace."

This time, Desmond felt no need to hide his smile.

Aqualad

A voice resounded in Aqualad's skull, clearly trying to pull him out of the darkness that blanketed everything. The voice was urgent, insistent as it repeated a single phrase, not letting him sleep.

"Time runs short," it boomed.

"You must awaken. You must awaken _now_!"

The last word knocked Kaldur out of his dazed state and he winced. The scene before him was brighter than expected.

Instinctively he moved, attempting to shield his eyes from the glare of the light, but encountering resistance, looked up. It took a second for the glare of the light beaming down to ease, but his arms were clearly shackled. From what he could feel, his feet were bound as well.

The two pods to his left held the unconscious forms of his friends who were beginning to wake up in much the same way. Had they heard the voice too?

Either way, assessing their conditions was akin to counting the days left till execution. All of them were detained exactly the same way, with solid steel cuffs that bound their limbs, held completely immobile. All of them were bandaged which was surprising given the nature of their imprisonment. Robin had his neck bound by a few strips of cloth whereas Kid Flash had a thick bundle wrapped around his right arm.

Looking down, the broken ribs he'd received from the clone's punch were treated in the same way but oddly enough, when he moved there was no pain. Suddenly, he registered the presence of another person in the room. Based on the way Robin and Kid were gazing straight ahead, their eyes beginning to glaze over, there was no doubt to who it was.

Aqualad took a few deep breaths, steadying himself before turning to look at what he had missed while his eyes were adjusting to the blinding glare of the pod. Even knowing what he faced, it was a struggle to not sag against the bonds and simply stare.

Superboy stood before them, sky-blue eyes gazing intently. He seemed focussed without a doubt, but in a more interested way that was somehow different to the rigid almost sociopathic look of detachment that had characterised his earlier actions. Not that this made their job any easier, as he remained staring, clothing stretched across his gloriously muscled figure. The face those startlingly eyes belonged to was as distracting as it had been before, tempting them to immerse their minds in shallow fantasies and abandon all clear thought. The clone was truly a sight to behold.

Nonetheless, the seriousness of their situation was not lost on him and with some effort, set his thoughts in order. Kid Flash seemed to have come to the same conclusion, but opted for a more direct approach.

"Wha-wh-what do you want!" The anger was obvious in Kid's expression, but the way his body had slammed itself up against the back of his pod was obviously a mark of the effect Superboy's appearance was having on him. Even as he continued screaming, a red flush coloured his cheeks.

"Quit staring already! You're creeping me out!" The super clone's eyes narrowed slightly at this, probably the first expression of emotion they'd seen from him.

"Uh KF," Robin interrupted tentatively. "How about we not tick off the guy who can fry us with a look?" His younger teammate seemed to be coping with the clone's body better than Kid Flash, although his voice had risen noticeably to approach a squeak.

Aqualad locked eyes with the clone, keeping his breathing and heart rate steady. The eyes were beautiful and evidently showed irritation from the outburst, but did not seem particularly hostile. In fact, the frown which crossed his brow seemed almost confused. Something was amiss.

Desmond

Feeling remarkably content with the Light's decision, Desmond strode down the hallway with Dr Spence at his side, briefing her on the procedure they were about to embark on. They headed briskly for Project Kr, anticipation brewing at the prospect of examining the body's status after the fight.

"Prepare the cloning procedure for the new project Sidekick now," he barked at Dr Spence who jotted it down on her clipboard.

As they neared the vault, Guardian could be seen monitoring a G-troll's work as it held the door in place for another Genomorph to weld it in place.

"Almost done here Doc," casually greeting him as he neared the repairs.

Desmond began to nod, but the sight beyond the doors caught his attention. The pod was empty!

"Where's the weapon?" he screamed, spit flying in his frustration.

Guardian had stepped up beside him and looked bewildered by his outburst.

"Superboy? He carried the intruders to the cloning chamber."

"We have genomorphs for that! Get the weapon back in its pod!"

The hero was now staring at him with barely concealed discomfort.

"Doc, you've already done whatever you did to Superboy and I don't know if I liked it. I didn't know you had taken the experiments that far, but you could at least let the kid stretch his legs."

Blood was roaring in his ears at this insubordination.

"I do," he hissed. "What the Cadmus directors want me to do! The Superboy is a weapon designed that way to serve Cadmus!"

Another thought crossed his mind as what Guardian had said became clear. "Also, what do you mean you're not sure you liked it? Are you saying his appearance didn't affect you?"

The question wasn't rhetorical and Guardian recognised that. "Doc, don't be disgusting, he's just a child." The head of security looked uneasy as Desmond stepped closer. "But-"

" _But_ what?" This hesitation didn't bode well and the scientist felt the beginnings of consternation brew inside him.

"But when you're near him it feels… like you want to fight against that complete lack of thought that comes."

"So he doesn't attract you, is that what you mean?" Tension was rife as Guardian viewed him apprehensively.

"Well…yeah fine he does, but it's not like you can't think at all. Especially since I know how old he is. Obviously it feels wrong."

Cadmus' head scientist turned to his assistant for confirmation. Doctor Spence nodded slowly.

"Well it is like Guardian said sir. I don't think he's yet at the stage which we were instructed to take him to," she admitted nervously. "Thought is still possible in his presence."

Desmond dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand.

"No matter, he's still in progress. We'll improve that trait once the Weapon is _back in its pod_."

This time, he refused to allow any protest, nodding at the g-gnome perched on Guardian's shoulder just as the hero moved to speak.

As the horns of the tiny creature glowed, Guardian's expression morphed from disapproval to rage.

"That clone belongs in a pod!" Bellowing furiously, the head of security stormed off to secure Superboy as the scientists followed in his wake.

Aqualad

"We only sought to help you"

The clone locked gazes with him again, eyes urging him to continue. Kid Flash was still indignant though and needed to make his grievances heard.

"Yeah, we free you and you snap our bones! If that's what you call gratitude then-"

"Kid please, be still." Aqualad's tone was conciliatory yet firm. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Robin squirming against his bonds and decided he needed some distraction.

"I believe our friend here was not in full control of his action, nor do our injuries seem to be bothering us anymore," staring pointedly at the super clone who seemed to squirm under his gaze.

When he spoke, Aqualad felt only the slightest hint of surprise.

"What if I-what if I wasn't?" The voice he spoke in was no less enthralling than his face, and Aqualad blinked a few times to ignore the near-delirium it brought on.

"He can talk?" Kid's voice had risen to the same pitch as Robin's as the super clone scowled, regarding the speedster with an angry look.

"Yes, _he can,"_ spat the super clone. Kid looked at both of his teammates, bewildered.

"It's not like I said _it._ "

Aqualad turned his attention to the clone, noting how uncertain he seemed, and how that stunning face did nothing to hide the confusion written over it. He needed to be reassuring, encouraging.

"The genomorphs taught you telepathically." Superboy nodded slowly.

"They taught me much. I can read, write. I know the names of things."

This time, Robin emulated Aqualad's gentle tone, having figured out what he was trying to do.

"But have you seen them? Have they ever actually let you see the sky or the sun?"

Now Superboy stared at Robin. He could almost see the battle take place in the clone's mind.

"Images are implanted in my mind. But..no. I have not seen them."

Aqualad pressed him. "Do you know what you are, who you are?"

Straightening, the clone's eyes seemed to regain the same fixated dispassionate look he had when they had done battle.

"I am the Superboy, a genomorph, a clone made from The DNA of the Superman, created to replace him should he perish, to destroy him should he turn from the light."

All of this was rattled off mechanically, and Kaldur could see the shock on Robin and Kid's faces. But they could not let this continue unabated. With conviction he spoke again, addressing Superboy.

"To be like Superman is a worthy aspiration, but like Superman, you deserve a life of your own beyond that Solar suit, beyond your pod, beyond Cadmus."

Fury flashed on Superboy's face at this assessment. "I live because of Cadmus! It is my home!"

"Your home is a test tube," Robin had stopped struggling, but there was no lie in the sympathy which laced the statement." We can show you the sun."

Their red-headed speedster, ever ready to offer some levity chimed in.

"Uh, pretty sure it's after midnight, but we can show you the moon," he said brightly.

The clone was unconvinced; Aqualad could see in the way his body had gone rigid, unwilling to give into temptation. But it was evident what was really required here.

"We can show you, introduce you to Superman." Superboy's head snapped up at that, eyes lit up with something resembling hope. Hope which was dashed moments later as the doors whirred open.

Aqualad's gaze lifted to see a middle-aged scientist walk into the room, accompanied by Guardian and the petite woman from earlier. Noticeably, all three avoided directly looking at the clone, a sign perhaps that they were accustomed to the effect which he had on people.

A derisive sneer graced the man's lips.

"No, they can't. They'll be otherwise occupied. Activate the cloning process." The woman hurried to obey, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground as she drew close to Superboy, only lifting them at the control console. She began to tap away at their pods' controls.

"Pass, Batcave's crowded enough." Robin seemed remarkably unconcerned by this turn of events even as mechanical arms began beaming out scanners over them.

"And get the Weapon back in its pod!"

Wally mimicked Robin's jab at humour with mock indignation. "Hey, how come he gets to call Supey an 'it'?"

Guardian walked over in an oddly stilted way and placed a hand on the super clone's broad shoulder who gazed up again. Aqualad gave him one final pleading look.

"Help us."

Superboy shook off Guardian, glaring at the purported hero with those stunning eyes. As if the clone's appearance rocked him, the security head of Cadmus stepped back suddenly seeming to stir. Guardian's glassy eyes cleared instantly, stepping back from the breathtaking clone as he rubbed his temples.

"Wha-what am I doing here?" Aqualad's brow furrowed at this unexpected reaction, but before he could delve into it, the scientist walked up briskly, making Superboy turn to face him. Again, this scientist seemed well-aware of how disorientating Superboy was and looked at the three in the pods instead.

The man's words were abrasive. "Don't start thinking now." He turned to face Guardian who was still unsteadily teetering on the edge. "Either of you."

The g-gnome on his shoulder leapt onto Superboy's where it found a great deal of room to nestle. As Aqualad watched the scene unfold, he noticed the g-gnome on both Guardian and Superboy's shoulders begin to glow, horns pulsing with psychic energy. Guardian relapsed into his dazed state and Superboy followed.

So that was it. Mind control.

"See, you're not a real boy. You're a weapon, and you belong to me!" Noticing the stares from all present, the scientist amended the statement. "Well, to Cadmus. Same thing."

"Now get back to your pod!"

Superboy left the cell in a stupor, just as the female scientist began tapping away at the control panel beside their pods. In response, two mechanical arms climbed up to each of the heroes' faces and split into four prongs. Aqualad jerked back as did the other two, but the prongs closed in to create a razor thin point. Superboy was already gone as the makeshift needle burrowed in.

Without warning, the needles charged with electricity. Their screams rang throughout the room as everything before the trio seemed to cloud over. The needle began to siphon out their blood rapidly and in between screaming himself hoarse and thrashing against the restraints, Kaldur could hear the smug scientist begin to relay orders to the others.

"Where's Dubbilex?" he asked just as the thin genomorph from earlier stepped out of the shadows.

The man let out a sharp exclamation.

"Ooh! Lurking as usual. Get the g-gnomes downloading their memories. When that's done and when you're sure the clones are viable, _delete_ the source material."

Aqualad was beginning to black out from the pain, but the emphasis on delete did not escape him. In a last ditch hope, he recalled one of Superman's powers.

Super hearing. The Man of Steel could hear a butterfly's wing beat a mile away. If Superboy really was his clone, so could he.

Sweat running over his scalp as more and more blood drained out and the electrical current wracked his body; the Atlantean gathered his strength and became rigid against the cuffs. Resisting the urge to continue screaming, Aqualad began to mutter under his breath, putting every last bit of energy into these final words to Superboy.

"Superboy, you live. That gives you the right to follow your own path. A weapon or a person, the choice is yours, but ask yourself..."

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Aqualad choked out the last few words.

"What would Superman do?"

That spent the remainder of his self-restraint and the screaming began again rocking against the burning sensation that threatened every nerve in his body. Tears threatened to spill onto his face, but he abstained from the urge. Never would he give these vile Cadmus scientists the satisfaction of watching him break down. Feeling the water bearers pressed against his back, Aquaman's sidekick. No. Aquaman's _partner_ refused to give in and in a fit of pride, turned the screams into a furious yell. In no way would he let his friends suffer such an indignity or disgrace them by letting the pain show. Superboy wouldn't come, but definitely held no blame for such actions. They had all agreed to come here and face the threat on their own. Looking over at his screaming comrades, they glanced back, eyes defiant. They would find a way out of this.

They wouldn't break today. Not ever.

At that precise moment of clarity, an enormous crash came from the exits. Opening his eyes, Aqualad looked through the smoke to see the enormous doors balanced precariously on the hand of a tall figure silhouetted in the darkness.

He smiled. Superboy had come back.


	4. Chapter 3-The Cadmus Escape Pt2

**Chapter 3 - The Cadmus Escape Pt.2**

Superboy

"Help us."

The tattooed boy seemed so earnest. Even as Dr Desmond ordered him to leave, Superboy had felt a twinge of guilt, knowing what would happen to the three heroes who'd tried to take him from Cadmus.

No, not take. What had the orange one-Kid Flash said? That they'd wanted to free him? It was too confusing. He'd always considered Cadmus a home, but what they'd said about seeing the sun and moon felt so right. To meet Superman also, what would that feel like?

The thoughts troubled the super clone, as unlike his other thoughts, the g-gnomes hadn't programmed an answer for him. It was a novel experience to not have an image appear and explain everything, one which eluded any easy answers and that inevitably made him feel angry.

Superboy had shaken off the hand which Guardian had used to grab him. It had probably been a firm grip from what little feeling it gave him, but it took less than no effort to dislodge. Nonetheless, the fact that Guardian had grabbed him irked Superboy, causing him to glare at the glassy eyed man. It was odd considering he'd been the one who'd encouraged the clone to move about.

"Go on, you can help us take those three to the cloning room if you want," he recalled the armoured head of security gesturing cheerfully to the three unconscious heroes. He'd pointedly avoided looking at Superboy so it was likely to be an order.

Shrugging, he'd ignored the g-trolls that had come along and simply picked the smaller two up, one under each arm and slung the tallest one over his shoulders.

"Or just take all three if you feel like it kiddo!" Guardian had laughed, and Superboy remembered how strangely good it had felt to hear. For someone to actually talk to him was something enjoyable, so far removed from the dreams the g-gnomes had implanted during the educative stage.

So when Aqualad and Robin offered him the chance to see everything with his own eyes, the offer struck a painful chord. Truthfully, it felt like he'd wanted to take them up on the offer, as if they would do as they promised.

But of course they wouldn't. They were heroes and protégés of the Justice League, the enemies of the Light. Such enemies were to be eradicated. Superboy had almost forgotten that important fact until Dr Desmond came along. The second his creator had walked past and sharply berated both him and Guardian for thinking too much, Superboy knew his place.

Aqualad had continued talking though, even as Superboy returned dutifully to the pod. He talked about how Superboy was more than a weapon, how he could choose his own destiny. How he had the right to choose whether he was a weapon or a person, as if they were somehow different. But Superboy was a genomorph of Cadmus, designed to fulfil a specific purpose, just as the g-gnome on his shoulder was.

These repetitive thoughts swirled in his head, each being beaten down by a voice which told him that Dr Desmond was right, that by following the rules of Cadmus everyone would fare better. To think of helping the heroes was sedition, plain and simple.

Aqualad did not stop talking, even as the scientists were extracting DNA from them and pumping the trio full of electricity. Most of it was blocked out by the voice in his mind, but the Atlantean had said one thing before falling silent. One thing which resonated with him as the voice couldn't provide any objection. He'd asked what Superman would do.

Suddenly, his mind cleared and reality snapped back into focus. The horns of the g-gnome perched on his shoulder no longer glowed with that sick crimson glow. Staring at it, he willed the words to come out, a snarl forming as he bore teeth.

" _Get. Off. Me_ " The tiny creature seemed to understand, leaping off easily onto a nearby cave ledge to avoid being torn apart by the super clone. Turning on his heel, Superboy raced towards the cloning room without hesitation, moving so fast that feet barely touched the ground.

Arriving at the massive locked steel door, Superboy ran through unimpeded, tearing the high-security circle out of the wall using a single hand. Dr Desmond, Spence, Dubbilex and Guardian all stared at him, the doctors with fear, while Guardian and Dubbilex seemed almost unsurprised.

Flinging the door over his shoulder, Superboy noticed to his relief that the electrocution had stopped upon entering, perhaps due to the wiring that now sparked from where the door had been attached.

Stepping forward, everyone present seemed to turn red, and super-hearing picked up their heart-rate increasing. As he drew closer, everyone gaped at him almost as if they had become frozen.

Suddenly, they stopped and everyone rushed him at once. "I told you to get back in your pod!" Desmond ordered.

This peremptory command annoyed him, and with a casual flick of both hands, sent everyone who'd charged flying into the cave walls, knocking them out cold.

Scowling at the head scientist sprawled on the floor, he growled. "Don't give me orders."

Looking up at the three heroes, they had also gone red but were regarding him with a less apprehensive air than earlier. Naturally, the fast scarlet headed one started speaking first.

"You here to help us or fry us?"

Unable to tell if the question was serious, Superboy squinted to see if he could fry off their restraints with his heat-vision. For some reason, none of the energy he'd felt in the dream simulations shot through his eyes. Instead, a splitting headache took a hold of him and their cuffs remained resolutely attached.

Deciding it was a joke he gave up and smiled slightly to mask the dizziness. "Well, I don't seem to have heat-vision so I suppose helping is my only option."

The way the speedster turned red at the smile was probably a good indicator that it was a joke, Superboy decided, and turning to face Robin, he saw the sidekick fall to the ground agilely, cuffs unlocked.

"Ahh. Finally! Lucky Batman isn't here. He'd have my head for taking so long."

Kid Flash struggled against his own restraints impotently. "Seriously, that's what you're worried about? The whole League will have our heads after tonight!"

The smaller teen ignored him, stowing away a lock pick before looking up at Superboy. The way he flushed was definitely the same as Guardian and the others. Was it some kind of human greeting?

"Free Aqualad. I'll get Kid Mouth." At least the hero's tone was pleasant, but he still didn't like the way Robin had told him what to do.

"Don't you give me orders either," he warned. Even so, he leapt up over Aqualad and with a simple squeeze, shattered each of the restraints holding the hero, catching him when he slumped.

Aqualad peered up at him, but despite the blush, smiled easily at Superboy.

"Thank you."

The clone nodded. He was unsure of what to say in return, but easily deposited Aqualad on the floor while they waited for Robin to free Kid Flash. They ran off the second they dropped to the ground with Desmond screaming after them.

"You'll never get out of here! I'll have you all back in pods by morning!"

Casting his eyes back, Superboy noticed that Robin and Kid Flash had stopped to face the scientists and with a quick movement, Robin sent some sharp objects flying into the pods they had just been released from.

"That guy is not whelmed, not whelmed at all," he heard Robin remark.

"What is it with you and this whelmed thing?"

Even as the explosives blew up, turning the lab into a burning inferno, Superboy couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about. To his knowledge, "whelmed" was not a word.

As the group raced along, Superboy noticed that the roof and sides of the cave hallways were plastered with huge slimy orbs. The further they ran, the more of these began to glow a familiar red, twisting and forming into large monkey-like genomorphs.

"We are still 42 levels below ground" he hear Aqualad yell. "But if we can make it to the elevator-"

Just as the genomorphs fully emerged from the orbs behind them, enormous g-trolls began to barricade the end of the hallway. They were trapped on both sides by walls of genomorphs.

This did not sit well with Superboy, especially as the g-trolls swung their huge arms at his liberators, forcing the trio to scatter. Leaping at the g-troll bellowing, he smashed it into the earth with a single punch, leading the other genomorphs to begin advancing.

Even with the others though, Superboy found it easy to swing the beasts into each other, flinging g-trolls into the walls to stop them coming closer. A red haze seemed to descend over his vision as fists met flesh, and for a second he ignored the three heroes who were leaping over the genomorphs and heading further down the hallway.

"Enough! Superboy, our goal is escape, not to bury ourselves!"

Turning to see Aqualad beckoning, Superboy continued screaming as the blood roared in his ears.

"YOU WANNA ESCAPE!?" Grabbing a g-troll with each arm, Superboy threw them bodily into the advancing genomorphs, halting their advance before following the heroes into an elevator shaft Aqualad had ripped open the door to.

Robin shot a grappling hook up into the darkness and sped up the shaft while Superboy grabbed Aqualad and leapt into the air.

For a second, complete weightlessness seemed to take a hold of him as they overtook Robin, but a blinding pain shocked Superboy in the temples and suddenly they were falling back down the shaft.

He faintly heard gasps and their fall was arrested as Aqualad grabbed hold of something Robin shot into the side of the lift shaft. As if the g-gnomes had taken control of his mind again, he began muttering aimlessly again.

"Superman can fly. Why can't I fly?"

The world swam before his eyes even as Kid Flash grabbed a hold of his arm. Slowly, Aqualad helped lower Superboy onto the edge of the lift shaft where he perched miserably.

"Th-thank you," he stuttered weakly.

"Hey it's cool Supey!" chirped Kid Flash. "You can still leap tall buildings in a single bound."

Superboy nodded as if convinced while Robin began hacking the system again.

"No choice guys, this is our only way out."

Looking up, the elevator began whirring as it descended to their level and with a few extra moments, Robin got the doors open. In moments they were on board and were on their way up to sub-level 15.

Without hesitation, Superboy ripped off the doors the second they arrived, unwilling to wait for Robin to shift through the controls. The second they exited the elevator it snapped and was set loose down the shaft.

They had reached a clean sterile office complex, but as they hesitated, genomorphs appeared at the end of the white corridor. Despite misgivings, Superboy followed the trio as they dashed into the corridor to their left.

As they ran, a voice began booming in his head.

"Turn left brother."

Blinking, unsure of what was going on, Superboy hesitated as they neared the two diverging hallways. But some primal instinct urged him to follow the voice.

"Go left!" he shouted.

The three sidekicks looked at him, but evidently trusted his judgement as they swerved left.

"Go right," it instructed.

"Right! Now!"

The hallway they turned into ended in a dead end, a yellow wall with nothing but a small grate near the top.

Kid Flash whirled on him. "Great Supey! Are you _trying_ to get us re-podded?"

Superboy felt bewildered. He had felt so sure the voice was right.

"No I just-"

"Don't apologise!" exclaimed Robin excitedly. "This is perfect!"

They only realised what he meant when with the lithe agility of a gymnast, he somersaulted onto the wall and pulled the grate off. At his beckoning, the rest of them followed into the vent, Superboy finding it somewhat difficult as the largest among them.

Nonetheless, he followed dutifully, not unaware of the fact that he was the one who had suggested this path. Kid Flash on the other hand continued to complain about how slowly they were moving even as they crawled through the ventilation shaft. It almost made Superboy miss the rustling behind them.

"Shhh!" he whispered, quieting the speedster. Noticing their unscheduled break, Robin and Aqualad immediately followed suit as Superboy closed his eyes, listening carefully. The vibrations were far off and he doubted the other three could hear, but it sounded like….

"Genomorphs. They sent some smaller ones into the shaft to search for us."

Robin nodded, scuttling off into a nearby turn so quickly that it took them a great deal of effort to keep up, especially when he was trying to avoid ripping through the metal by accident.

"What about the genomorphs?" he ventured, wondering if Robin had understood.

Robin simply placed a finger on his lips and slid along the tiny tube effortlessly with one hand, typing on his wrist-mounted computer with the other.

"They won't follow if we slip through here quietly." Bringing up another box with his finger, a tap turned the entire holographic screen bright red.

Noticing their curious looks Robin grinned cheekily. "De-activating the security cameras."

Superboy scowled again, beginning to wonder why he'd trusted this kid.

"What about the motion sensors?" he hissed.

As if in response to the question, an anguished yell echoed throughout the pipes, most likely Desmond's.

"I hacked the motion sensors too."

Smiling bashfully in response to Robin's grin, he followed them out of the tube into the light, landing in an empty corridor.

"Sweet!" Kid Flash responded. "Now I've got room to move."

Before even finishing, the speedster flit off into a door that opened up to reveal a staircase. The rest of them followed in his trail, with Superboy staying at the rear to avoid being blindsided. By the sounds of impacts on metal and a great deal of growling, he guessed Kid Flash had run into some interference on the way up.

Smashing the staircase down with his foot, Superboy managed it just in time to send some pursuing genomorphs falling to the lower levels. Turning he noticed a large group of genomorphs already felled by Kid Flash and ran to catch up with the others.

Trailing behind, he emerged into yet another corridor, but the calm austere building was now blazing with red light, alarms blaring from every direction. Up ahead, Kid Flash was speeding towards a rapidly closing door, but even before the collision it was obvious there was no chance of making it.

Smashing into the enormous security doors didn't seem to improve the speedster's attitude much as he rubbed his head grumbling. Aqualad wrenched on the doors with all his might as Superboy ran to join him.

"They've sealed us off from the outside" Aqualad grunted.

Kid's reply was cutting. "Thanks, my head hadn't noticed."

It was clear they were making no progress so Superboy shoved Aqualad aside and grabbed hold of the doors himself, wrenching with all his considerable might. The doors gave way slowly, but even as he saw the crevice widen, the sound of footsteps invaded the air.

"Superboy stop it!" Robin's voice broke his concentration. "I can't hack this fast enough and genomorphs will get here before you can open those things."

Busting through a nearby door, Robin dashed through. Superboy was really beginning to hate running as he followed the rest into yet another non-descript hallway. This hatred inly intensified when they saw what awaited them beyond.

The entire hall was filled with genomorphs of all sizes, headed by Guardian with that all-familiar g-gnome perched on his shoulder. The monkey-like genomorphs beside Guardian had multiple g-gnomes on their shoulders as well, whose horns all began to glow the second the heroes moved to attack.

Aqualad, Robin and Kid Flash collapsed on the spot, but Superboy remained upright, barely conscious on his knees. The thin genomorph-Dubbilex, stepped forward, its enormous horns pulsing the same way as its smaller brethren. As it looked at Superboy, a familiar voice rang in his head.

"Perhaps for the sake of all genomorphs, our brother Superboy should make up his own mind."

Superboy stared at Dubbilex, beginning to figure out what was happening. Beaming back a message, Superboy spoke to Dubbilex telepathically.

"It was you. You spoke to me, guided me. You were the ones who healed Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad when Desmond got me to attack them."

"Yes Brother. I even set the fire and lured your new friends Down into Cadmus, woke them when they were in danger"

The g-gnomes' mind control was beginning to ease.

"Why?"

Dubbilex regarded him enigmatically, expression almost undiscernible. The emotion in the genomorph's eyes could have been determination, amusement or possibly even pride.

"Because you are our hope, the genomorph hero. You will blaze a trail for all our brothers, showing us the way to freedom."

All the genomorphs stirred at this proclamation, and even Guardian who had been frozen in the centre of their formation began to rub his head again. The spell over him had been broken.

"A-again. Superboy, all of you." The three heroes behind him slowly got to their feet, no longer suppressed by the g-gnomes, groaning slightly. Dubbilex looked at him seriously now, all pretences gone.

"What is your choice, brother?"

Conviction stirred in Superboy's chest, burning with more heat than the dreams in his pod had ever given him. To meet Superman, to be like Superman. All of those dreams could become a reality and every image instilled in his head was mere minutes away. All that stood between him and them was the ground above them.

"I. Choose. Freedom,' he growled.

The genomorph nodded approvingly while Guardian now stood there firmly, his mind clear and body brimming with new-found energy. They looked at each other once more, understanding. Aqualad's voice cut through their reverie.

"Guardian?" The Atlantean also stood off against Guardian, the two sending each other a silent message as Guardian shook his head again to get rid of the fog.

"Go. I'll deal with Desmond."

Only then did the scientist make his presence known with an ear-splitting laugh. The genomorphs and Guardian parted, revealing the mad scientist standing alone, clutching a single vial of bright blue liquid.

"Deal with me? I think not." Holding up the unstoppered vial, everyone tensed. His voice was imperious and filled with arrogance as he boasted.

"With the power of project Blockbuster I will restore order to Cadmus."

Before anyone could stop him, Desmond drained the blue liquid in a single draught and immediately began to shake uncontrollably. Guardian positioned himself in front of the group as the scientist's body began to contort forcibly and grow in mass. His skin peeled off grotesquely, flaking off to reveal a coarse blue concrete hide underneath. Once his hair fell off, Desmond had grown to a shocking seven feet in height, muscled swelled hugely till they dwarfed even Superboy's. What had once been a human skull was now a square shaped mass, devoid of any defining physical features beyond a mouth and red, demonic eyes. Clothes hung off his titanic frame in shreds as an animalistic growl emanated from his chest, eyeing all of them.

Project Blockbuster crouched, muscles bulging as it prepared to tear them apart.


	5. Chapter 4-The Cadmus Escape Pt3 (Final)

**Chapter 3 - The Cadmus Escape Pt.3 (Final)**

Kid Flash

Ok, this was turning out to be a very strange day for Kid Flash. First Wally, Kaldur and Dick had broken into a secret underground science lab in Cadmus. Fine so far. Then they were attacked by a mixture of hypnotised heroes, telekinetic genomorphs and plain old smash you with their fists genomorphs before being forced into the lower levels of this dank facility.

Then they'd somehow been manipulated to find a clone of Superman, but plot twist! This clone looked less like a doppelganger than he did a very distant, ridiculously hot nephew of Big Blue which _really_ disturbed him. Feeling attraction to a male was not a comfortable experience for Wally, nor did it help that he was completely incapable of thinking of a girl he found hotter. This probably wasn't a good sign considering thinking of girls was pretty much a fundamental part of Wally's everyday routine.

As if that wasn't enough, now they were facing down a scientist who wanted to torture, clone and kill them all.

This was leaving out the fact that said scientist was now a hulking blue giant with skin falling off in a very repulsive way. All in all, taking out a generic ice villain earlier in the day by punching them with his mentor was a much more pleasant outing.

Okay then, back to the present where Cadmus' brainwashed head of security was now un-brainwashed and charging the giant blue thing.

"Everyone, back!" Guardian was swatted out of the air like a fly by "Project Blockbuster" as he pounced, hitting the floor with a sickening crunch. Out cold before Kid could even yell out a warning.

Now the creature had turned its attention back to them as Superboy screamed and repeated the manoeuvre with considerably more success. Blockbuster reeled back as the super clone hammered a few good punches into its jaw, but responded with an equally strong right-hand that knocked Superboy a good distance away.

Rushing in to help, Aqualad blasted the oncoming beast with his water bearers, holding it back briefly as Superboy leapt back and sent the creature through the ceiling with a savage kick. The kryptonian didn't let up though and jumped through the hole to continue his onslaught.

He noticed Robin staring as he shrugged, holding onto the faint hope that their big guns could handle Blockbuster. Unfortunately, it was only mere moments after Aqualad had followed Superboy that they heard guttural yells pierce the air.

Shooting a grappling hook upwards, Robin grabbed a hold of Kid Flash and pulled them in the direction of their brawling friends.

"Think Lab Coat planned for that?" he asked.

Robin cackled slightly. "KF, I don't think that thing is planning _anything_ anymore."

When they caught their first glimpse of the battle, Kid Flash was forced to concede that Robin was probably right. Arriving on the ground floor of Cadmus surrounded by marble pillars might have been reassuring had it not been the site of a super powered smack down.

Aqualad was being pummelled into a pillar by what had once been Desmond, who had forsaken rhyme or reason for a brutal beat down as Superboy rubbed his head only a few metres away.

"Oh that is so not cool" he remarked, speeding into the back of the huge beast that was attacking his friend. The momentum unbalanced it, giving Robin enough time to help Aqualad out of the corner and plant a few choice gadgets on their raging nuisance.

Kid Flash managed to escape just as the bombs went off, blasting Blockbuster into a nearby support column. It only disorientated the creature briefly though, and Aqualad drew a pair of broadswords as the creature charged at them.

From behind Superboy had recovered and proceeded to tackle Blockbuster out of the way. Grunting, the brute turned to its more robust opponent and began grappling with him.

"This will not do," Aqualad muttered. "Our battle has taken too much of a toll on this building already." Plunging back into the fray, their teammate blasted Blockbuster away from Superboy with a stream of water before sending electrical tendrils snaking over its body.

"Hey Rob, what Kaldur said…" he trailed off, wondering if his friend could figure out the rest. A sneaky grin was all the confirmation he needed.

Their ever vigilant Boy Wonder had already drawn up a schematic of the building's structure.

"You sure about this?"

This time it was Kid Flash's turn to offer a devious smirk.

"You know what they always say. If you can't beat em-"

"Join em" finished Robin. Another support beam crumbled in time to illustrate the point from Superboy and Blockbuster's frenzied struggle. Every so often, Aqualad would tip the odds in their favour with a well-placed electric shock or a massive blow from behind, but the battle showed no signs of ending.

Robin briefed him on which columns to break and he sped off, leaving Batman's protégé sketching the key points of impact around the room with a piece of chalk.

"Hey guys!" he shouted, arms held high. Both turned to look at him which unfortunately distracted them, giving their opponent time to knock both down with a double armed smash. Superboy threw himself over Aqualad, but both were thrashed into the floor and lay there groaning.

He winced guiltily. That was gonna hurt later.

Blockbuster looked ready to attack again, so seeing as Aqualad was trying to support the winded super clone, Kid Flash began grabbing rubble from the battle floor and throwing it at Blockbuster with insane speed.

"Come on you incredible Bulk, is that all you got?" For a moment, it seemed to be working as the creature slowly retreated, shielding its face.

"Here, here and here." From Robin's briefing, he guessed that Aqualad had made it behind him, but dared not look as he focussed on grabbing every stone available.

But as Wally had learned from a short career of crime-fighting, nothing ever worked out that easily. Sad to say, this proved no exception as the pile of stones which he'd been using as ammunition ran out just as Robin and Aqualad headed for the pillars marked with chalk. That still left Kid Flash dealing with Blockbuster, wide open and very vulnerable.

"Easy boy," he said, slowly retreating. "I don't wanna hurt ya."

Even in his crazed bestial state, the former scientist seemed to recognise the bluff that it was and let out a bark that was undoubtedly a laugh. Kid Flash prepared to run straight at it, but before he could be so suicidal, felt himself being plucked off the ground by the scruff of his neck and moved to the left.

"Get out of the way." An enormous chunk of stone, twice the size of Wally, was sent flying at Blockbuster, toppling it with ease. Aqualad and Robin smashed through the last few pillars even as he watched. Dangling in the air, he eyed the super clone with a slightly impressed look.

"Thanks Supey. Now mind putting me down?"

Superboy set him on his feet just as Aqualad arrived holding a small detonator switch. Robin stood on the far side of the room planting the final bomb.

They looked on apprehensively as Blockbuster got up yet again, shaking off spare pieces of rubble.

"The big guy just doesn't stay down does he?"

Robin gave them the affirmative sign as he ran over.

"He will after this!" Swerving to the side of the room, Robin signalled for Aqualad to blow the room, but before he could, Blockbuster lunged to the side and grabbed Robin by the leg.

"Ah. Hey! Let me go!" Kid Flash's heart stopped in horror, blood draining from his face. Even as Aqualad and Superboy lunged forward to help, Blockbuster grabbed Robin by the arms, holding his friend over its head in a move that was far more savagely intelligent than its earlier actions. The message was clear: move and their teammate would be ripped in half.

The two heroes stopped and Blockbuster grinned hideously, exposing a block of white teeth. With a gigantic leap, the mutated thing landed on both Superboy and Aqualad, shaking the weakened building and driving them both into the ground with a sickening crunch.

This time neither of them dared to retaliate with Robin in its grasp and Blockbuster didn't even look at Wally as it ground the two further into the floor.

Perhaps it was the fact that his best friend was still in the hands of the brute or that another two of his friends were now being crushed by the same brute. Or maybe it was the fact that he couldn't stand being ignored for the umpteenth time by villains and mentors.

Either way, without any hesitation whatsoever, he took a flying leap into Project Blockbuster's face and began pummelling its eyes with every ounce of energy in his body. The creature let out a groan and dropped Robin, who tumbled panting on the ground.

"KF!"

"No worries dude!" he yelled, swinging onto the gigantic back to avoid being maimed by the creature's flailing arms and finding purchase in many bloody grooves of the concrete like skin.

"Activate the bombs, I got this!"

Instead of listening, Robin took a page out of his suicidal acts book and latched onto one of the creature's arms as it tried to take another swipe at the red-head.

"Yeah right! And leave you to have all the fun?"

They laughed hysterically, the very picture of insanity as they played the most dangerous game of twister in history. Blockbuster couldn't attack Robin the way he was, but threatened to send him cracking into the nearest hard surface with every swing, forcing the Boy Wonder to constantly curve and slip around the appendage.

Kid on the other hand was switching from the front to back of the creature, a less athletic achievement but one which was equally hazardous. Every time Blockbuster came close to grabbing a part of his clothes or limbs, Wally's life flashed before his eyes.

Robin screamed out as he continued manoeuvring around the limb. "You alright?" They locked gazes bleakly, knowing they couldn't keep this up forever.

Nonetheless Wally still had to make a smart aleck quip as the arm continued to search for the speedster. "You kidding?" Another near miss.

"You should know by now how _flexible_ I am." There wasn't much else he could say as Blockbuster finally wrapped its hand around his midsection. Unable to risk a batarang, Robin flew at Blockbuster's eyes with a small blade but was swatted into a nearby wall which he slid down with a pained gasp.

Ok, that was it. No time for more witty remarks or clever tricks he thought as the other hand joined in beginning to crush his ribcage. Black spots danced in his eyes as they were squeezed with inhuman strength.

In those last few moments he wondered what his obituary would say. Probably something along the lines of: Wally West, aged 15. Science prodigy having his heart crushed by failed experiment. Bequeath all possessions to grieving parents and friends.

Then again, all his best friends were likely already dead. Even as he watched, a white-clothed angel took him in one arm and Robin in the other.

A face gazed down at him which robbed him of breath with its chiselled beauty. As they flew through the air, Robin watching him dazed from the other arm, Wally wondered if all angels had such startlingly blue eyes.

Wait a minute. Blue? Was he really in Heaven? Why was it still so dark?

Shaking himself out of the delirium as they landed on the other side of the room, Wally felt the blood return to his face, colouring it a deep crimson. Had he just thought that Superboy was an angel? Evidently, Robin was going through a similarly mortifying thought process, but they didn't have time to compare notes as Aqualad, who had driven Blockbuster to the centre of the room barked out an order.

"Get down! All of you!"

Superboy shielded them with his body as Aqualad dove towards them, finger already coming off the detonator switch. In seconds, the world was nothing more than dust and falling rubble.

Superboy's frame protected them from the worst of it, but Kid Flash still felt a dozen smaller pieces of stone pepper him with bruises, while a particularly large piece made it through and smacked his already tender ribs.

Refusing to black out, he noticed Aqualad curled up into a foetal position out of Superboy's reach, one arm extended with a large water shield to block off some of the impact. The noise and sight of shifting earth began to settle around them, and when no more structures were falling on them, Superboy gently set them on the ground. The clone slowly rose, excavating the huge piece of marble which had almost crushed them. In a few moments he'd created a large opening for them to exit through.

They all climbed out at once, the first sight Kid Flash noted being that Blockbuster was prostrate, eyes closed beneath a mountain of what had once been Cadmus headquarters.

Turning with some relief he saw that Robin and Aqualad were fine, if a little worse for wear. Aqualad was the first to speak, panting heavily as he did.

"We…. did it."

"Was there ever any doubt?" High-fiving Robin, they both sat back down as their injuries sent stabbing pain down their sides. Turning to look at Superboy, they all couldn't help but marvel at how bathed in the glow of the night sky, with the entire chest portion of his solar suit torn cleanly off his body, (although he would never admit it) the clone looked absolutely amazing.

Superboy took in his first ever look at the moon, a childlike expression of wonderment on his modified features. Wally himself turned to join in, squinting slightly as a small dot became larger in the distance. In a flutter of blue and red, Superman slowly descended from the sky, with Zatara, Captain Marvel, Red Tornado and Martian Manhunter beside him.

Grinning, Wally walked up to Superboy, laying a hand on the clone's shoulder while the remaining heroes floated down from the sky. Most of them stared at Superboy, eyes widening as they took in the clone.

"The moon and Superman too. Told you we keep out promises Supey!" Superman's eyes widened at the nickname. He stared at the clone as if confused while Batman descended on one of Green Lantern's power constructs. He was accompanied by Black Canary, Green Lantern and Aquaman. As Flash zipped up, the protégés realised what was going on.

The whole Justice League was here to meet them.

Robin strolled up with Aqualad, holding a scrap of white cloth which he handed to Superboy. The young kryptonian nodded and stretched it out so that the leaguers facing them could see the red "S" emblazoned on the front.

So far, only Batman and Superman had seemed completely unaffected by Superboy's appearance but now, Superman's eyes opened in surprise as Batman's narrowed. Superboy smiled nervously at Superman, but the man of steel almost seemed to avert his eyes. Superboy's disappointment was clear.

Batman stepped forward, his expression flat and uncompromising. "Is that what I think it is?" Wally frowned a little.

"Supey doesn't like being called an it," he advised. Batman pointedly ignored him and raked his eyes over their beaten-up team.

"I'm Superman's clone!" responded Superboy. Many of the leaguers raised eyebrows at this, with big blue himself scrutinising Superboy with renewed shock. Batman looked unfazed but forbidding.

"Start talking."

They left Robin to do the explaining, with Aqualad occasionally tempering his hyper-activity with a few words. Batman's protégé finished the explanation, causing the Dark Knight to step aside and begin conversing with the remainder of the league.

The young heroes were left on their own. Superboy looked downcast; glancing at Superman often who made a bad pretence of listening to Batman fixatedly. Now that they weren't in a life-threatening situation, Wally realised just how hard it was to not look at Superboy, and how most of the leaguers would, every so often, stare at the clone with noticeable embarrassment.

The Green Lanterns along with Captain Marvel flew off with Blockbuster just as Martian Manhunter touched Superman, forcing him to acknowledge Superboy. They could see him sigh resignedly even from a distance as he walked over to face Superboy. The two kryptonians were of almost equal height, Superboy barely having to look up at his original.

"We'll, uh-we'll figure something out for you," he said awkwardly.

"The League will, I mean. For now, I'd uh- better make sure they get that Blockbuster Creature squared away." And with that, the man of steel flew off into the sky, leaving them in the dust.

Superboy

Superman had barely even looked at him. After all that effort and fighting, when Superboy had emerged into the surface world, everything had seemed so incredible. The moon had been more inspirational than any rendition could have been in his mind, and the feeling of inhaling the air of the outside world. He'd never before realised that there was so much to life. So many experiences to be found just by stepping outside of Cadmus. His new friends had risked their lives to help him and just as he'd begun to take in the world, Superman had arrived.

Honestly, he wasn't sure what he'd expected. Maybe it was unfair to want complete acceptance? All the same, the way Superman had brushed him off and treated him like some sort of stain was irritating. More than irritating in fact, it was aggravating. What had he done to merit that kind of treatment?

So when Superman had approached him again, and simply told him that he-no, the league, would "figure something out," Superboy had felt desolate. The initial amazement from taking in the world had all but evaporated. What was someone meant to do when rejected like that? The justice leaguers who kept staring at him did nothing to help his mood.

Before he could mull on the disappointment too long, the man cloaked in black-Batman as he recalled, had walked up and was beginning to address them. Somehow, just the gruff way he spoke was enough to command attention. Superboy listened in spite of himself.

"Cadmus will be investigated, all 52 levels, but let's make one thing clear-"

"You should have called!" the red speedster interjected. That was probably Kid Flash's mentor he thought.

Batman cast a glance at him before turning back to the young heroes.

"End results aside, we are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives."

Superboy's heart began to pump frantically inside his chest. His stomach felt as though it was hanging by a thread just hearing these words. Now that Superman had abandoned the super clone, all he had left were his three saviours. Without them what could he do?

"You will not be doing this again."

His stomach plummeted. Hopes quashed, Superboy stared at his feet resolutely, imagining a life in another test tube, another version of Cadmus. Suddenly, he felt someone's eyes on him and looked up to see Aqualad's reassuring gaze. Now all three of them were looking at him and at each other.

Aqualad looked at Batman. "I am sorry, but we will."

The hero dressed in orange crossed his arms and addressed his protégé. "Aqualad, stand down," he commanded.

In some form of salute, Aqualad laid a hand across his chest. "I am sorry my king. But no."

Calling on the same voice he'd used to advise Superboy, Aqualad continued.

"We did good work here tonight, the work you trained us to do. Together on our own we forged something powerful, important."

Kid Flash's mentor stepped in. "If this is about your treatment at the hall, The three of you-"

"The four of us" said Kid Flash firmly, cutting his mentor off. Superboy looked at him in surprise, feeling his spirits rise at this inclusion.

Now Robin was speaking, adding his own voice. "Batman, we're ready to use what you taught us, or why teach us at all?"

Feeling a greater confidence, Superboy spoke, unable to remain silent.

"Why let them tell us what to do? It's simple. Get on board or get out of the way."

Batman's eyes narrowed, considering this. It seemed an eternity before he spoke again, but when he did, they sparked hope in Superboy.

"Give me _three days_."

Kid Flash

"Three days isn't so long," he pointed out. His three friends shrugged, and nodded in assent.

As they prepared to leave, the trio looked at Superboy curiously, standing alone in the scene. He met Robin's look and nodded slightly, grinning.

"Hey Supey, how bout you come home with me?"

The brooding kryptonian looked up with those luminous eyes and shrugged again. Guessing that was confirmation, he beckoned the clone to follow, but Robin stopped him for a word.

"Uh...we'll need to get him some clothes." Looking over at Superboy, he explained.

"I'll probably come over to help or something. SB can't go out like _that_. People would not be whelmed seeing him in the streets."

Pursing his lips, Wally nodded. Once the adrenalin died down, it would be a lot harder to even have him in the house without feeling awkward.

"No problem for now. He saved our lives, I think my parents can put up with him for a few days."

Another thought hit him.

"And when are you going to quit it with this whelmed thing?"

Robin and Batman were already gone and the Boy Wonder's devious laugh echoed throughout the clearing. Wally shook his head and gestured for Superboy to enter the car they'd hired. It was time to go home.

The Light

In a vast nondescript room, seven enormous screens line the walls. Each contains a distorted white figure. The floor is clear for someone to consult with them but this time, the members are simply there to discuss private matters. The voices are those of Desmond's superiors. L1 opens in their coarse authoritative voice.

"It seems that with the deposition of Desmond, that Cadmus will soon require a new head. Can the Light afford to leave guardian in charge without the g-gnomes?"

L3's smooth composed voice fills the air.

"We have subtler means of control. What concerns me is the children. We now know the League is willing to employ young heroes to do their dirty work." L3 laughs with genuine amusement and continues.

"That's a dark twist. Nonetheless it has allowed for one avenue of opportunity to arise."

L1 does not laugh, but there is a cold satisfaction palpable in their manner.

"Indeed. Though unexpected, the temporary loss of the weapon has expedited our plans. With prolonged exposure to the heroes of the Justice League and this new group of heroes, we no longer have any need to engineer another scenario."

L3's silhouette flickers. "Although procuring the weapon without proper safeguards will prove slightly more troublesome than initially planned."

"It is of no concern. I have little doubt that with your resources the eventual task will prove to be no obstacle. With this specific piece in place, we are set to ensure that the League and this team of children _all see the light_."


	6. Author's Note 1

Author's Note

 _Hello to anyone reading this. From this point onward, I will update this story once a fortnight rather than once every few days. Following chapters will mostly be entire episodes from the original series interspersed with some of my own content. The story arc will take a few unexpected turns so please follow and drop me a review to let me know if you're enjoying it and how I can improve_ _._

 _Thanks for reading._


	7. Chapter 5- The Three Day Wait

_Author's Note:_ _To anyone who might have been waiting for this, I'm truly sorry. Life caught up to me and school has been hell. I hope to upload more in the coming months, but didn't want to give anything less than my best. Hope you all enjoy!_

 **Chapter 5 - The Three Day Wait**

Kid Flash

Day One

Wally was sitting at his parent's dining table explaining the situation to them while the dashing super clone leaned in a dark corner, arms thankfully folded over his bare chest.

"So we blew up Cadmus, got Blockbuster locked away and freed Superboy." He nodded emphatically, as of by sheer force of will he could make his story sound less ludicrous.

"And now we're waiting for Batman to make up his mind in three days." Wally stopped when he saw the expression on his parents' faces. He waited nervously for their response. They stared at him quizzically, which was probably better than outrage but still…they didn't look happy.

That being said, it was an improvement from their initial reactions. Meeting Superboy had made his mum jump about 5 feet in the air and his dad had looked extremely unsettled. As his parents though, they were used to being surprised and their shock subsided quickly.

"So," began Wally's dad. "I assume Super…boy will be staying with us for the next few days."

"Can he Dad? Mum?"

His mum nodded with a wry smile before ruffling his hair with mock disapproval.

"Mum!" he complained.

"We're used to it dear. You lead a very strange life."

Wally's dad had risen and offered a hand to Superboy, who stared at it strangely.

"What's your name son?"

Superboy's lips tightened ever so slightly before he took the proffered hand carefully and gave it a careful shake.

"Superboy." The kryptonian's expression didn't shift.

"Yes, dear but what's your _real_ name?" Wally's mum also turned to Superboy, smiling warmly even as a pink tinge touched her face.

Looking perplexed, Superboy turned to him for guidance. Wally merely shrugged his shoulders in response, feeling awkward as those baby-blues gazed straight at him.

"Superboy." Wally's parents gave him a curious glance.

"I call him Supey. I think he likes it!" Wally grinned and they shook their heads again before his mum ushered them both into his bedroom.

"You both need a good night's sleep after all that's happened! No excuses dear." Superboy looked somewhat bemused as this thin red headed woman urged him into Wally's bedroom and with agility worthy of a speedster, had a sleeping bag unfurled and a fresh set of clothes laid out in minutes.

Wally opted to look away from the clone as he exited the bathroom, listening as his mum chatted to the unresponsive clone who continued to stand rigidly in front of the bed.

"I'm sorry Superboy. I don't think we have anything that will fit you but I'm sure someone will be over soon to help out with that." His mum smiled at Superboy again, slightly flustered by his proximity but the kryptonian merely nodded stoically.

She cast another curious glance at Wally who shrugged, for once having nothing to say so she rose and made to leave.

"Make yourself at home alright Superboy?" pausing at the door to give them both a warm smile. Superboy's expression softened at this insistent attempt to welcome him and nodded less abruptly as his mum flicked off the lights for them.

Wally felt it was slightly less disorientating to look at the clone when obscured by the darkness and made a gesture for his new roommate to rest.

"Ok, Supey you take the bed. I'll camp out for tonight." Superboy nodded and laid himself out over the bed, muscles stretching out against the tattered solar suit.

Wally couldn't help but swallow hugely at the sight. As tall as Superboy was, his feet hung over the edge of the small bed as he stared resolutely at the ceiling with those shining eyes. They were enrapturing, noticeable even in the darkness.

Superboy seemed to realise that he was being watched and turned to look at him, exposing a broad, ripped torso.

Wally resisted the urge to stare, feigning nonchalance as he pulled up the sleeping bag to cover the crimson blush on his cheeks.

"Uh…what's up Supey?" he enquired cautiously.

Wally was reciting "you like girls" furiously in his head like a mantra, desperately trying to persuade himself that the sight in front of him was just another guy. Just another guy who he did not like just because he was big, burly and had the face of an angel.

Superboy, having heard none of these manic thoughts, blinked before his face scrunched up slightly in a frown.

"Do you think Superman knows I'm here?"

Pursing his lips, Wally answered somewhat uncomfortably under the unwavering gaze.

"Yeah sure. He probably knows you're here…I guess."

Unexpectedly, Superboy's lips tilted up into a small smile. It lit up his face so incredibly that, mantra forgotten; Wally began to blather mindlessly and stopped as he proved unable to form a coherent sentence.

In a strained voice, he croaked out a brief good night and glared at the wall, resisting the temptation to turn back and continuing to gawk.

"It's gonna be a long night," he thought wearily.

Day Two

Kid Flash

Wally woke to the sounds of his alarm beeping. Opening bleary eyes, he rested the back of his arm over his eyes for a moment before sitting up and fumbling for the clock.

Once the incessant beeping stopped, he looked around the room, messy as always with clothes strewn across the floor and a half eaten sandwich tucked away in a corner. For a moment, everything looked normal with even the bed being unmade, blankets messily folded in half as if he'd just thrown them off.

Then he remembered what was missing. Superboy!

The absence of the super clone hit him like a tonne of bricks and he jumped out of the sleeping bag, grabbing in his hurry a bright red t shirt and yellow shorts, pulling them on as he ran despite the frigid morning chill.

Within seconds he was dressed and ready to bolt out the door, but before he could even fling it open, a loud crack resounded throughout the room. This was followed by the sound of wood splintering noisily and a familiar growl from the inside of his cupboard.

The brisk air prickled his skin as he stepped towards the door and pulled it open tentatively. It was hardly a problem though as his body heated up the second he came face to face with Superboy's chest.

Geez he was huge! Superboy looked even bigger in the tiny confines of the cupboard, those broad shoulders brushing up against each side and so tall that he had to bend his neck just to fit inside. Well, presumably he had been bending, but now half his head was embedded in the roof of the cupboard from straightening as he'd slept.

Looking sheepish and eyes still half-lidded with drowsiness, Superboy pulled his head out, leaving a sizeable hole in the top of the cupboard. Wally moved out of the way to let the clone extract himself, watching as he shook his head like a dog out of water to dislodge the chunks of wood caught in his hair.

The shaken speedster took a subtle step away and avoided letting his gaze linger on Superboy's face, raising a single eyebrow in question.

"Not used to sleeping in a bed. Your cupboard kind of reminded me of my Cadmus pod. Just smaller." The clone wrinkled his nose slightly. "And the funny smells."

"Hey! I'm not the one whose still in a wrecked solar suit."

In actual fact though, despite the rubble and dirt which peppered the solar suit the clone looked remarkably clean and even his breath smelled-

"Ok, too far Wally," he thought, cutting himself off.

Noticing that Superboy was just standing there sheepishly, he took a look at the damage and shrugged resignedly. He or dad would just have to fx it later.

"Ok Supey, so we haven't really got anything to do so we can just chill for the day. We're just gonna have to wait until Bats makes his decision."

Superboy nodded but there was another awkward moment where he had to explain the word "chill" before he brushed his teeth. He lead his roommate downstairs to camp out in front of the TV with a mound of food on the table before them. The confused hero really just followed along, standing around idly until Wally had finished brushing before plonking himself in an opposite sofa looking bored. Wally tried asking what Superboy wanted to watch, but an indifferent shrug was pretty much the default response for every suggestion so Wally preoccupied himself with flicking through channels and ploughing through the pile of junk food and sodas that he'd assembled. Superboy again declined the offer to eat until Wally's mum plied him with a box of hot chips which she'd brought home from work. When Wally reached out for them, she glared daggers, leading him to meekly retract his hand.

Needless to say, Wally tried filling the silence with some light banter, but the clone seemed more content to looking stunning as he slouched on the sofa in boredom, nibbling the hot chips. The only reaction he'd drawn from the superhuman teen came on two occasions: the first was when the chips became cold and he coaxed the clone to try using heat vision to heat them up again. Superboy had looked startled for a moment before gazing at the chips with narrowed eyes, brow furrowing before he broke off looking confused and clutching his head. In hindsight, it was probably a good thing that it hadn't worked since Wally had failed to consider the abundance of flammable materials in their vicinity. On the other hand he spent a significant amount of effort trying to persuade the disconsolate superhuman that it didn't matter.

"C'mon, you don't need to get all hung up about it. Superman probably didn't get heat vision til he was eighteen or something, like some Kryptonian initiation ceremony or something," he remembered saying. Superboy didn't perk up much though and went back to slowly chewing on the remaining chips.

The second instance arose near the end of the day when Wally's mum reentered the room, which by that point was littered with food wrappers and an inordinate amount of food crumbs. Setting down a vacuum cleaner, she'd turned off the television and silenced his protests with a scowl.

"Out! Tomorrow I want you two out of the house so you can get this poor boy some clothes," she ordered, tone brooking no objections. That wasn't to say he didn't try though, remonstrating with all the skill of a martyr.

"But how are we supposed to go out with Supey looking like that?" He gestured frantically at Superboy, avoiding looking at him.

"I mean, we don't even have any extra clothes for him. They'll never let us in the mall!"

"Somehow I don't think getting in would be a problem dear," she responded drily. From the fold of her shirt she extracted a small letter sealed in wax.

"Anyways Wally, you're a clever boy and I think you might have some help."

Superboy sat up straighter at the sight of the letter and his face was clearly anxious from what Wally could see from peripheral vision.

"Do you think it's from Superman?" His smooth powerful voice, so rarely heard, was rife with anticipation and Wally took a moment to steady himself before answering.

"Nah, its from Robin and Bats. Rob's sent a message."

Superboy slumped back into the chair looking dejected again, but Wally skimmed through the note to avoid being pulled in by the sight. The note was brief and read:

 _Hey Guys_

 _I'll be over with Alfred and a car to take you to the mall tomorrow. Be ready to leave by 9am, but I've got some random things SB can wear out. Nothin' special, but enough to get us through the day._

 _Cya_

Wally shook his head despairingly as he handed the note to Superboy. It took a second to read before being passed back.

"What's wrong?" he questioned.

"Nothing," Wally claimed. But his heart wasn't in it and one thought plagued his mind for the remainder of the day:

Who got up before 9 on a Saturday?

Day Three

Robin

Walking around in Central City Mall was awkward enough with shades on, Dick noted. But when you had a huge super powered teen along for the ride, the situation went from awkward to downright humiliating.

Glancing over he saw that Wally wasn't in much better shape, seeming to shrink under the gaze of everyone who turned to stare at them. They _did_ make for an odd trio with Superboy wearing shades and a baggie grey hoodie specifically chosen to hide hide his ridiculous body. The young kryptonian loped awkwardly in the shoes that were a size too big, and with his hood up looked like a badly dressed burglar in the brightly lit mall.

Wally and Dick were dressed more reasonably, both wearing simple jeans. While Wally was in a yellow tee and a chequered red overshirt, Dick had opted for a plain white shirt. Nonetheless, with a leather jacket, hair slicked back to help with the disguise and shades of his own; he had to admit that he probably looked as shifty as Superboy did.

Dick realised that he was being spoken to and turned to the mash up of ill fitting clothes he had turned Superboy into. That rich warm voice was pretty much unalterable and although gruff, it was definitely a reminder of what laid beneath the hoodie.

"I don't really like wearing these clothes Ro-" His heart did a somersault.

"Shhhhh!" he hissed frantically, silencing the larger boy. A few people began to look at them again and he motioned apology, glaring at Wally when his friend began to snigger.

Five minutes in and his identity had almost been exposed!

Looking at the clone fiercely he spoke quietly but deliberately as they walked.

"Look don't ever use that name ok? Not when I'm not dressed the part."

The clone did his trademark frown again, which Dick had learnt, was his equivalent of a question.

"I told you to call me Drake remember?" his tone was placating now. "I like to have some anonymity when in public."

Superboy nodded, looking slightly unsure but didn't pursue the question.

"Ok…Drake."

"Yeah sure," Wally snorted. " _Drake_."

He enunciated the name slowly, making it sound as skeptical as possible. Dick decide to ignore him, resolving that at the next opportunity he would get his own back.

"Besides, we're here to get you new clothes anyway," he said, gesturing to the store they had arrived at: Forever Sixteen.

Seeing as it was still before the end of a typical school day, the store wasn't flooded with people yet which was lucky, because they attracted enough attention as it was anyways.

A small group of guys that looked like college students stood by the counter talking animatedly with two girls in "Forever Sixteen" uniforms. One of them, a pretty brunette with pearly white teeth smiled at them, although her manager, a scarlet red head, looked slightly warily at Superboy. Another employee stood at a nearby display folding t-shirts looking bored. As they passed, Dick noted him at around 16 with a messy mop of black hair that fell in his eyes when nodding to them.

A few minutes later, they were perusing the range of clothes, but Superboy seemed determined to hover around a rack of black shirts emblazoned with red "S" symbols. Wally rolled his eyes to heaven with some amusement.

"C'mon Supey, you've gotta choose something other than one shirt. What are you gonna do, wear the same one every day?"

Superboy pursed his lips and turned to Dick with what he assumed was a questioning glance, but it was hard to tell beneath the disguise.

"Can't I just buy a lot of them?" There was such a childlike innocence to his question that it genuinely made Dick feel like he wanted to laugh. It reminded him that the clone was still unschooled in most things relating to the outside world.

"I mean, yeah but try something else as well ok?" He sorted through the piles and found a few sweaters and long sleeved shirts which he held out to Superboy.

"Go ahead, try them on."

The kryptonian looked at the selection of clothes as if unsure what to do before reaching for the hem of his hoodie and beginning to pull it off.

"NO!" For the first time that afternoon, Dick and Wally were in perfect unison, grabbing Superboy's hands and hoodie to stop him from stripping. Of course, they couldn't really hold him back, but he paused after seeing their reaction.

"What?"

A pair of schoolgirls around Wally's age, probably on a free period were hovering near the trio curiously and took some interest in the tall hooded super clone.

"You don't just take off your clothes in public," Dick hissed.

"Why?"

He revised his opinion of Superboy's innocence. It was a lot less endearing when it threatened exposure and mass panic. But how could he explain that to the guy who was just beginning to learn how to talk to people?

"It's just not something people do alright?" The answer was lame, but it seemed to work.

"Yeah, use the change rooms Supey. And remember to lock the door."

They gestured to the small corridor of change rooms that lined the back and Superboy entered one of them, looking disgruntled by their dismissive answers. The fact that his grip dented the metal handle didn't escape the detective's keen eye and he leaned over to Wally whispering.

"We might need to get him some anger management lessons."

Wally smirked, holding up a shirt which Superboy had set down, ripped from shoulder to centre.

"Yeah, and maybe some extra clothes."

He winced and stowed the torn shirt under his arm, making a mental note to pay for it on their way out. As he did, a small shriek came from the changing rooms and they darted around instinctively, ready to spring into action.

One of the school girls he'd noticed earlier was being held by a guy who looked like he'd just left school, holding a backpack in one hand, the other draped around the girl's shoulders. The couple had obviously been playing with each other and were giggling naughtily, but stopped abruptly when him and Wally burst in.

The two heroes retreated sheepishly into the main part of the store and slouched against a wall adjoining the short corridor. They'd only just begun to talk when another shriek came from the rooms again, followed by a heavy sigh.

Wally turned to him looking curious and opened his mouth as if to say something, but froze up and stood there gaping.

His friend's mouth literally hung open, but before he could question it, multiple sighs echoed throughout the store as everyone began to turn towards him, faces red. Or rather what was behind him.

"Drake? Wally?"

Oh no. An uneasy feeling began to stir within his stomach.

Turning to face Superboy was one of the stupidest decisions Dick could have made, but he went through with it. Perhaps he'd thought that steeling himself would help. Perhaps he thought he would be composed enough to tell his new friend to get back inside. But in reality, the second his eyes fell on the clone, all he could do was goggle like everyone else.

He was just so beautiful!

Superboy stood there shirtless, having discarded the oversized shoes so that he was half-naked with nothing but a pair of skinny jeans on, which hugged every luscious curve. The skin that covered his sculpted body was smooth and unblemished, the slightest movement making his muscles ripple sensually. Shirts and sweaters hung from one perfect arm, crooked enough for the powerful teen's bicep to flex ever so slightly.

Robin felt even tinier than usual as Superboy towered over him, face barely eye level with that gorgeous set of abs. And yet the temptation to just reach out and touch them was so unbearable… Wiping his face with the back of a hand, he tore his eyes from that mouthwatering body to stare directly at the clone's face.

The sensation of helpless lust only got worse. Even Superboy's incredible body paled in comparison to his face, which was glorious to behold. In spite of their ethereal beauty, his chiselled features clearly belonged to a sixteen year old, with a boyish youthfulness that made his every expression seem unbearably cute. Tousled ebony hair seemed to shine in the light, with a jawline sharp enough to shear through steel and simply looking into those startlingly blue eyes made thinking clearly a struggle. He could hear people's breathing along with his own begin to come in short, hurried gasps.

"Um, are you guys okay?"

Dick and Wally snapped out of their reverie and he felt himself flush as Superboy's gaze settled on him. Satisfied that they were paying attention now, Superboy held out the clothes he was holding.

"They were too small. I think I might have ripped some of them." Indeed, many of the shirts he was holding sported tears around the arms and back, which begged the uncomfortable question of how tight they'd been on that godlike figure. The scowl returned as they began to stare and fantasise again.

"So what do I do now?"

The sound of his deep, silky voice was having a visible effect on the people in the store. Where they had been frozen ogling before, some were beginning to unconsciously draw closer. Others grew even redder as Superboy cast a curious glance over them, only just seeming to realise that people were staring.

Before any more damage could be done, Dick grabbed the clothes and shoved them into Wally's arms, who was glad for the distraction. Spinning the oblivious Adonis around, he pushed him back to the change rooms.

"We've got to go inside, you can't just be shirtless in public," he grumbled.

Superboy blinked.

"I thought you only couldn't change in public."

"Same thing."

In hindsight Dick realised that despite the irritation on Superboy's face, he had let himself be pushed around and wondered why the uncompromising hero had been so obliging. At the time, it was all he could do to steer them into the back without being enthralled by the sensation of the flawless skin and muscles shifting tantalisingly beneath his fingers.

They passed very close to the couple who had been playing in the back before, now holding onto each other more for support than anything else. The changing room they entered was adjoining the one they were using and when Superboy drew close, both visibly trembled. Robin breathed a sigh of relief when the door was closed, hiding Superman's "clone" from prying eyes.

"I'll get you bigger clothes, just stay _put please_ ," the last two words were stressed heavily. An assenting grunt came from behind the door.

Entering the front of the store was disconcerting. More people had gathered at the entrance, who had probably noticed the sights as they'd passed and peered longingly into the entrance he'd just exited from. Faces flushed, his emergence from the change rooms had elicited multiple disappointed sighs and embarrassment as people began to move sluggishly, feigning interest in whatever they were shopping for.

Nearby, Wally was asking some employees for help.

"Hey guys, seriously I do need some bigger clothes. Have you got any?" There was only silence.

"Can you tell me where to find them? Seriously, are you even listening?"

The boy who'd been folding shirts and the pretty brunette were standing there nodding, holding the clothes which he'd given Wally, but it was clear they weren't paying attention. Like everyone else, they had turned the second Dick exited the change rooms. Wally was growing noticeably more irate and resorted to a dirty ploy.

"Look guys, I know Superboy would really appreciate it if you were the ones who helped him get a new wardrobe. Might even want to thank you himself!"

Dick hissed and pulled his friend over by the arm.

"What the hell are you thinking?" he whispered viciously.

"Remember secrets identities much? We can't associate ourselves with-"

"Can we help you?"

They snapped to attention immediately. The red-headed manager, who had been hovering nearby chimed in. Dick noted drily that her complexion was beginning to match her hair colour as Wally turned to roll his eyes with some smugness.

"Oh so his name's Superboy?" she questioned animatedly. "Well of course, just let us know we're here to help in anyway he might need!"

"Okay…" Dick drew out the word with some derision, the use of "he" rather than "you" not escaping the Boy Wonder, but letting it slide regardless. "Have you guys got any clothes you think will look alright on him?"

"Nondescript ones," he added, noticing the incredulity that crossed everyone's faces. "He's already torn the ones you're holding." The younger girl flushed and definitely began to clutch the bundle of shirts closer.

"He would look good in anything," she breathed dreamily. Realising she'd said that aloud, her expression grew mortified. "What I meant was I think the others might be the same," she squeaked. "I don't think we've got anything big enough!" This elicited a glare from her boss.

"We can find something in a separate style," she responded acidly. Unable to help himself, the boy who'd been folding clothes earlier, silent until now, blushed furiously as he gave a suggestion.

"We might need to talk to him," he muttered, shuffling his feet quietly. "I mean, the bigger stuff is baggy and…well kinda weird so he might not like it," he admitted, attempting to ignore the annoyance of the manager.

Dick pursed his lips thoughtfully, but eventually shrugged with some resignation.

"Unfortunately, I think we need something like that so thanks anyways."

Despite his growing dislike of the manager, the risk of drawing an even bigger crowd wasn't worth it to move on to another store. Coming to this decision, an enormous uproar came from outside, followed by screaming and the sound of glass shattering.

Wally snatched two bandannas from a nearby stand and handed him one while addressing the male employee.

"Make sure our friend wears what he came in with alright?"

The guy blinked and nodded slowly, looking down at Dick.

"But where are you guys going?"

He grinned in spite of himself while tying the bandanna around the bottom of his face.

"Just chill dude, look after Superboy for us ok?"

The reminder was all that was needed to make everyone in earshot turn to the entrance again while the two heroes darted out, Robin pulling out a utility belt from the hidden compartment in his jeans. Outside, the commotion had gotten worse.

At the front of Gemini Gems, glass sprinkled the floor like rain. A blonde muscular teen in a sleeveless white shirt and suspenders dragged the manager he recognised across the ground singlehandedly as the poor man struggled helplessly. Nearby a security guard with bruises blossoming on his face crawled away from a blonde girl in a similar attire who looked like the blonde guy's twin.

"I'm still hungry Tuppence," the guy drawled in a Southern accent. "So I'm taking our new pal down to the food court."

"Right behind you Tommy." Tuppence grabbed the security guard and lifted the man above her head as he squirmed for his gun. She turned to the railings which sealed off the opening down to the bottom floor.

"Just cleaning up first. Y'know how I feel about folks leaving litter about."

His carefully aimed batarang exploded in her face before she could throw the guard as Wally tackled the brother from behind, causing him to drop his own hostage. Tuppence swore with irritation as she batted smoke out of her eyes.

"Hate litter? Then you'd better get out of here before the cleaner shows up lady" he quipped.

"I ain't no lady," she spat back. "Who're you meant to be son, some sort of masked vigilante?"

Ignoring her, he screamed out at the people beginning to notice the situation.

"Get out of here everyone! These two are armed and dangerous! Out NOW!"

They scattered at the warning, but a few stragglers were reluctant to leave until he glared at them pointedly.

"Armed, boy? Dangerous for sure though," Tuppence's voice was snide as she leapt at him.

The Boy Wonder flung smoke bombs to enshroud her. The natural reaction was to stumble back and he hear coughing from within before throwing himself into the cloud. Tuppence flailed mindlessly, with little direction so using the sound of her swings, Dick navigated the smokescreen. Upon noticing she swung at him with a vicious backhand.

Using an aikido trick he'd learnt from a Japanese monk two years back, a simple shoulder roll sufficed to channel her strength into a devastating throw. The force of it sent her screaming over the railing and into the bottom floor. A massive crater was the result. Luckily the civilians had already run off screaming and Tuppence was groaning, disorientated in the centre of the dust.

A strangled roar came from where Tommy had been lunging with frustration at Wally. The speedster was effortlessly dodging the attacks and throwing the villain off balance but upon seeing his sister flung down to the bottom floor, he grew even angrier.

"Tuppy!" he shrieked.

Grabbing a nearby support beam, he strained, pulling the enormous concrete pillar out of the floor. Judging with an expert eye, Robin knew it would take much more than that to destabilise the building, but they were still left dealing with an angry lunatic brandishing an enormous stone bat.

Looking furious the felon attacked with a mighty swing which Wally responded to by spinning into the air with a miniature tornado.

Unfortunately Wally mistimed his jump, so instead of leaping over the whistling length of stone, he landed on it and was thrown over the side. Robin shot a grapple after his falling friend and caught the speedster dangling. Just as he began to pull up, Tommy advanced and Tuppence jumped up to join them, having recovered from her fall.

"You two shoulda known better than to mess with the Terror Twins," sneered Tuppence.

Wally swung over the side and stood back to back with Robin as Tommy raised the concrete column again. There were still a few lingering people nearby though who were dashing out, some hauling screaming children. They needed time.

"Seriously though, _Tuppy_?" he laughed, deliberately goading the two.

"The only thing you two can terrorise is a mall full of stuffed animals!" Wally gestured to the nearby toy store which had been wrecked by their scuffle.

"What, Mummy and Daddy never buy you guys a toy so you decided to break down Build a Bear Workshop?"

The insults were juvenile, but as expected the "Terror Twins" scowled in fury. As Tuppence wrenched a metal bar out of the railings, Tommy raised his own weapon, ready to crush them into paste. Robin drew a batarang as Wally slipped an arm around him, ready to bolt.

"Hey! Over here!"

An unmistakeable voice rang through the air as a large form darted at Tommy, wresting the column from him with one hand and smacking him into the ground with the other. There was some relief in the fact that he was back in the hoodie and had donned the shades again.

Tuppence gaped as Superboy smashed the column on her, discarding her metal pole to stop it with both hands from bearing down on her. Rushing to her aid, Tommy rose from the dust thrown up by the rubble and dodged the batarang Robin threw at him, landing a solid punch into Superboy's face.

The glasses shattered and the hero was sent stumbling at the force of the blow. They'd reengaged with Tuppence who was swinging the column Superboy had dropped with wild abandon, demolishing everything in her path as Wally sped around trying to ram her. Robin was dodging warily, waiting for an opportunity to strike with a taser. He didn't have to wait long.

A familiar sigh tore itself from the throat of the crazed blonde as she got distracted by something behind him. It was an odd sense of déjà vu and although she didn't drop the marble column, she stopped whirling with it, giving Kid Flash another chance to ram her into the wall. A well-placed shock in the neck knocked out one half of the Terror Twins and he turned to see Superboy leaping for the other half, as Tommy froze up blushing at the sight of the kryptonian unmasked.

The blow had broken the shades completely, with only a few pieces stuck to his hood which had fallen off in the scuffle. Tommy responded to Superboy's right hook at the last second, throwing up both arms in a guard. However, the difference in their strength was obvious as their teammate's punch sent the blonde crashing out of the glass doors and flying to the edge of the enormous carpark. There he laid in another crater bruised and unconscious.

Panting slightly, Robin grinned at Superboy as Wally tackled them both in a very bro-like hug. Of course this provoked the inevitable blush and elevated heart rate, but the exhilaration of taking down the two criminals was lasting. That was until an irritated voice rang through the air.

"What is going on here? You were supposed to be keeping out of trouble!"

The trio turned in unison to see Superman and the Flash arriving on the scene. The Man of Steel was descending from the sky while Wally's mentor stood in front of them, hands on hips. Robin fancied he saw a tinge of pink touch the senior speedster's cheeks at the sight of Superboy.

"We were just shopping!' his protege complained.

"And got into a scuffle that's demolished part of the mall!"

"It's not like we meant to do anything but at least we took down the Terrible Twins."

Gesturing at the damage they'd done, Superman scowled.

"Well your battle's taken a toll on the area. And whether or not you took them down, doing it the way you did in the range of civilians may have endangered lives." As Superman spoke, he marvelled at how calling Superboy a "clone" was practically a misnomer. The only resemblance he held with his biological father were on the most generic level. The Man of Steel usually considered one of the most desirable men on the planet, had nothing on his breathtaking younger counterpart.

He amended the judgement actually, noticing that Superboy reciprocated the same scowl as Superman but remained uncharacteristically subdued. Dick stopped Wally from retorting, but felt slightly indignant about the ordeal himself. Moreover, Superman's adamant refusal to even look at Superboy was becoming irritating.

"Well for the record, Superboy caused most of the damage," he mentioned blithely. Superboy whirled around, scandalised at the betrayal as Superman's brow furrowed. Robin continued, speaking very pointedly.

"So maybe if you started teaching Supey, he might have better luck next time with his powers and reduce the damage." The anger on Superboy's face dissipated and he turned to the older hero hopefully.

Taken aback, Superman began to babble in confusion.

"Well, I'm not sure I'd have the time honestly and well-"

Superboy's disappointment was palpable and feeling this, the Man of Steel stopped short.

"Anyway, I need to get these two to Belle Reve. We can talk about this later."

And with that, Superman flew off carrying the Terror Twins, hardly giving Superboy a second glance. Meanwhile, Flash engaged in a debate with them on responsibility and crowd control.

"Did you even ensure all the people were out of the mall?"

"We told everyone to stay clear!" Robin protested.

"Did you think of bringing the fight outside to reduce collateral damage?"

"No, but we kinda had our hands full staying alive!" This time it was Wally who seemed greatly affronted by his uncle's reprimand.

"You should've split up to herd some people away while the other two took on the bad guys."

Superboy interjected at this point.

"I was still putting on clothes while Robin and Kid Flash were fighting."

Not only did he seem surprised by the fact that Superboy had actually talked, the rich allure of that voice affected the fully fledged superhero almost as badly as it had everyone else.

"Oh? Really? Well…either way, we'll talk about this later," Flash stammered.

"Just do what you need to do and report to Batman early tomorrow."

With that he was gone so quickly they didn't even have the chance to say goodbye. Superboy still looked morose and Wally punched him playfully, recoiling in pain as his fingers made a noticeable crack.

"Don't feel too bad about it Supey, just gotta wait for the big guy to get used to things."

Robin elbowed him gently to prevent bruising. "Yeah, you did awesome in that fight SB, thanks for bailing us out."

A small smile crossed their friend's lips at that, causing Dick and Wally's hearts to pound a few beats faster. Then, he seemed to pause and consider his words carefully before speaking again.

"Thank you," he said carefully.

Wally laughed a little.

"For what?"

Superboy looked down at his shoes and responded a little bashfully.

"For letting me stay at your house and um..for helping me."

The second statement was definitely aimed at Dick and a tender smile completely unlike the one from earlier accompanied it. The only reason he didn't swoon was because of how touched he was by the genuine thanks, flashing Superboy a smile of his own.

"Don't worry about it, now lets go back and finish what we started." A grimace crossed Wally's face and he felt one come over his own as he wearily lead Superboy back to the store where they'd left his clothes.

None of the hordes of gaping people attempted to rush them, but only because upon seeing the hero's smiling face, they froze up and looked ready to collapse. Robin ignored them, urging Superboy to keep moving lest the crowd regain their senses.

The trio from "Forever Sixteen" was dawdling at the counter, looking almost disconsolate. Most of the people from earlier had left by his reckoning, but quite a few had lingered in obvious hopes of seeing Superboy again as their faces lit up and walked up looking anxious.

Most of the crowd was comprised of girls, but there were definitely a few boys who in the mix doing their best to look inconspicuous. One of the crowd, a tall and strikingly gorgeous Asian girl came up and addressed the bemused superhero, stuttering terribly.

"U-u-um, hi I'm K-Kate and I wanted to ask if maybe you w-wanted to go out …sometime-maybe. Here's my number by the way!" She was probably around twenty Dick guessed and as she thrust out a slip of paper with her number scrawled on it, Wally spluttered with equal parts indignation and envy. Superboy, for his part, seemed completely confused so it was up to him again.

"Hey thanks Kate!" he responded brightly, taking and handing Wally the slip of paper. "If any of you guys want to give Superboy your number, just hand them to my friend here alright? But to be honest, we've got some shopping to do so please make it quick and vacate the store!"

It took a few seconds before this registered with the manager and she strode up, looking disgruntled before Dick held up a hand to stop her. Wally was collecting multiple slips of paper and attempting to flirt with some of the girls as they passed, but everyone's gaze was riveted on Superboy.

Turning to the manager, he whispered: "1 hour of shopping, $1000 and a photo of him in one piece of clothing that I choose."

The shop's shutters were closed in minutes.

They managed to choose a selection of sweaters, cargo pants and hoodies which wouldn't hug his body like a second skin. This basically meant avoiding t-shirts altogether. Nonetheless, Superboy insisted on purchasing the entire rack of extra large black Superman logo t-shirts and a bunch of skinny jeans to accompany them.

After they realised they could count his abs through the shirts, the staff practically begged for that outfit to be their photo after they stopped drooling. Meanwhile, Wally sorted through the twenty five numbers he'd collected in an attempt to assign face to number before giving up and discarding them. The oblivious kryptonian had asked why people were giving him "numbers" but Dick avoided the question.

For the photo, he chose the most ill fitting and unflattering clothes possible so that the only thing worth looking at in the photo was the face. Having taken it on each of the employee's phones, it took only a few taps on his wrist held computer to embed the photos with a virus that would delete the photo permanently after any attempt to share or reproduce it, a fact which he made sure they were very clear on. When they ran out the back door with bags of clothes, they heard a startling commotion build from the store they'd just exited. Having called Alfred earlier, they'd only just had time to enter the car before a huge crowd exited the mall and began pursuit.

The sped which Alfred drove at to escape that day had even Wally screaming for dear life.

Day 4 ("The Day")

Superboy

The four of them stood before Batman in a straight formation, listening as he gave them the final briefing.

"Since you four are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you'll do it on league terms. Red Tornado has volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary's in charge of training."

Looking around, Superboy noticed the two Leaguers standing nearby, one a tall blonde woman, the other a red caped robot. The mentors of his three teammates had shown up, but Superman was noticeably absent he noted sourly. Batman finished his briefing.

"I will deploy you on missions."

Robin stirred beside him.

"Real missions?" he questioned, stressing the former word. Batman nodded at his protégé.

"Yes, but covert."

Flash sped up to stand beside Wally, tapping his chest symbol meaningfully.

"The League will still handle the obvious stuff. There's a reason we have these big targets on our chests," the speedster noted cheerfully.

Aquaman nodded in agreement before speaking.

"But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter. Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly."

"The five of you will be that team," Batman confirmed.

"Sweet!"

Robin beamed for a second before frowning.

"Wait, five?"

The zeta tubes began to spin again and they turned to see a petit green girl with a shock of long red hair materialise. She stepped out into the opening with Martian Manhunter, gloved hands held in front of her.

"This is the Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian."

Wally brightened noticeably at the new arrival, muttering excitedly to Robin.

"Liking this gig more every minute." The redhead sped over immediately, joined by Robin and Aqualad.

"Hey, welcome to the team! Im Kid Flash, that's Robin, Aqualad. It's cool if you forget their names."

Superboy stood alone, feeling somewhat out of place until Robin's voice rang out.

"Hey Superboy, come meet Miss M."

Shrugging, he trudged over and upon getting close to Miss Martian, her dark green body immediately turned scarlet. Well that was new at least. So far humans only seemed to turn pink in the face.

"S'all right," he heard Robin said, laughing at her response.

"SB has that effect on everyone," Wally assured her.

Although he wanted to enquire what effect that was supposed to be, the Martian girl's shirt orphed and shifted, catching his attention.

Whereas her outfit initially had a red cross overlaid on top of a white shirt, her clothes began to ripple and shift until the undershirt was black and her cape disappeared. He realised what she'd done.

"I-I like your shirt," she mumbled under her breath.

He smiled slightly, pleased in spite of himself. As usual this was greeted by a lot of coughing and blushing from the guys and Miss M remained red, although the blush was confined to her cheeks this time. He could hear the heartbeats of almost everyone present begin to thud rapidly.

To be honest, people were still confusing to him.


End file.
